The Humboldt Forum. Not exactly a museum, this gigantic edifice is called a forum because its purpose is the exchange of ideas (as if I know what I am talking about). Named after a pair of brothers whose ideas were ahead of their time and whose fame was global (Humboldt Avenue three blocks from my house in Milwaukee is named after one or both of them), the mission of this institution is very diverse. (You can see their website here)
Which says in part:
Diversity is the decisive foundation for working and thinking in the Humboldt Forum. The Humboldt Forum stands for the equal rights of all people – in all their diversity. It sees itself as a resonance space and a contact zone, a site for joint debates on cultural identities and global futures.
The Humboldt Forum wants to promote open dialogue: to provide a platform and make it audible. Visitors, contributors and staff play an important role in making this diversity something that can be experienced and through which to make their own mark on the content of the Forum.
As part of their mission they are returning, to the best of their abilities, stolen or looted artifacts. I don’t know details but the place is a glorious marvel. Enormous, well thought out, extremely detailed but accessible enough for anyone to know what they are looking at.
And it is free which is great because it would take days if not months to go through.
