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Description [EN]
Located in the heart of Mannheim, the Museum Bassermannhaus für Musik und Kunst is part of the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen and is dedicated to presenting music, art and the cultures of the world. Across roughly 1,350 m² on two levels, objects from these fields are exhibited, offering visitors acoustic and visual access to global traditions.
The museum’s new building began in 2008: the cornerstone was laid on 23 October 2008. Archaeological investigations on the site previously used as a parking lot uncovered well-preserved remains of historic structures from early phases of settlement. At a cost of five million euros, a six-storey building was erected, in which the exhibition Klang der Kulturen was installed in 2010 on the ground and first floors. The project was made possible by a generous grant from a cultural foundation; the foundation’s capital also secures the institution’s ongoing operating costs and exhibition programme.
The museum’s programme includes a music-historical and ethnographic presentation entitled MusikWelten, which displays numerous musical instruments from Europe and overseas. Of particular note is a significant collection of pre-Columbian musical instruments that was added to the holdings as a foundation gift. On the first floor is also ZEPHYR – Raum für Fotografie, an exhibition venue devoted to contemporary photography.