Maritime museum

Maritime museum of Montenegro, Kotor

Kotor, Montenegro is an ancient trade and harbour city. It is therefore no surprise that seafaring plays an important role in the history of the city and that there is a museum dedicated to this at the historic city center: the maritime museum of Montenegro (Pomorski muzej Crne Gore). It is not a very big or modern museum, but it is worth a visit if you’re interested in the topic or want to learn a bit about the history of the city.

Continue reading “Maritime museum”

Fascism & Communism

Bunk'Art, Tirana

The regime of Enver Hoxha made sure to create enough bunkers throughout the country. But where would the government flee to in case of an attack on Tirana, Albania? In the eastern suburbs of the capital city you can find the answer: a giant fallout shelter. Close to the Dajti Ekspres you can find a long tunnel through a mountain and when leaving the tunnel and passing some buildings you can find the bunker entrances.

Continue reading “Fascism & Communism”

House of Leaves

House of Leaves, Tirana

For a long time nobody really knew what was happening in the house with leaves growing around it – but everybody had a suspicion. First the Geheime Staatspolizei (Gestapo) of the occupying Germans used the building for interrogations, then the Albanian secret service, the Sigurimi, took it over for the same purpose. It became their central office between 1944 and 1991. Since 2017 the Shtëpia e Gjetheve (‘House of Leaves‘) is now open as the Museum of Secret Surveillance.

Continue reading “House of Leaves”

Social realism

Galeria Kombëtare e Arteve, Tirana

The national art gallery of Tirana, Albania or Galeria Kombëtare e Arteve is located close to the city centre at Bulevardi Dëshmorët e Kombit. You can easily find it behind the artwork ‘The Cloud‘ (REJA). From the outside the building doesn’t look too promising but it has a good collection of 4100 historic works – beginning in the 13th century CE – and the presentation of these is very good. On the ground floor changing exhibitions are shown, often with contemporary art.

Continue reading “Social realism”

Albanian national history

Albanian natural history museum, Tirana

The Muzeu Historik Kombëtar is located directly at the Skanderbeg square in the heart of Tirana, Albania. You can’t overlook this building as it carries a giant mosaic (called Shqipëria / Albania) that shows Albanians from different eras – only the red star above Mother Albania has been removed. The museum shows the national history of the country chronologially from ancient times until today.

Continue reading “Albanian national history”

ZETA

ZETA Contemporary art center, Tirana

Maybe it is the smallest art gallery on the planet: the ZETA Contemporary Art Center at Tirana, Albania. It shows the works of Albanian and international artists in just one room. When you’re at Blloku just drop in for some minutes – you don’t need too much time. The hardest task is to find it within the Hekla Center.

Continue reading “ZETA”

Technik-Museum

Technik-Museum, Kassel

Kassel, Germany was always a birthplace for new technologies – especially when they could be used to increase mobility. The biggest name for sure is Henschel, a company that built locomotives, lorries, busses, but also tanks, planes and rockets. They were also involved in building the Transrapid magnetic monorail. Another company was Wegmann, producing railway waggons. Still today Bombardier is producing locomotives at Kassel. A good reason for a technology museum with a focus on mobility.

Continue reading “Technik-Museum”

Astronomisch-physikalisches Kabinett

Orangerie, Kassel

The Astronomisch-physikalisches Kabinett (‘APK‘) as a museum about astronomy and physics within the Orangerie at Kassel, Germany. It is part of the Museumslandschaft Hessen-Kassel (‘MHK‘) and shows the collection of scientific instruments collected by the landgraves of Hesse-Kassel. They started creating this collection in the 16th century CE but it was also extended afterwards. Latest items are computer systems like those from Konrad Zuse, some where obviously in use by municipality of Kassel.

Continue reading “Astronomisch-physikalisches Kabinett”