News from the New Gutenberg Museum

One third of the existing space will be available to the Gutenberg Museum during the interim period in the Natural History Museum in Mainz, according to construction manager Marianne Grosse during her visit to the construction site on August 17. There will be a common entrance and a common ticket for both museums. A room on the third floor is reserved for a joint exhibition. Grosse emphasises that all renovation measures are designed sustainably and that the subsequent use of the rooms by the NHM is always taken into account.

At the first glance, it becomes clear that the historical ambience of the Reichklara Monastery will provide a great backdrop for the Gutenberg Bibles. A beautiful story: The space in which the Bibles will be presented was actually open to the public in Gutenberg's time. Gutenberg himself may have attended the service there.

The new exhibition concept is convincing, ranging from the medieval Mainz city model in the entrance area to the traditional printing presentation and the screening of the Gutenberg film on the first floor to the chiped entrance ticket which allows the visitors to access additional information at all stations. A new highlight: a photo station where visitors can take selfies in Gutenberg's workshop which afterwards can be printed on paper as a souvenir.

The visit to the construction site gave an imPRESSion of the interim and the anticipation for this new chapter is building. The signs are also good with regard to the relocation and housing of the remaining collection of the Gutenberg Museum. We will hear and see more of that from Dr. Sölter on September 28 in the Kulturei.