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Up close: a glimpse behind the scenes of the restoration
Press release from 10/02/2026
9th European Restoration Day on 18 October 2026 – Guided tours of exhibitions and restoration workshops – Marion Ackermann: “Preserving cultural heritage is the SPK’s core mission”
“Up close”: This is the theme of the 9th European Restoration Day, which will take place on Sunday 18 October 2026. A varied programme will showcase the work of conservators, which usually takes place behind the scenes. It will also offer a fresh perspective on the objects, their history, materials and manufacturing techniques.
SPK President Marion Ackermann: “The preservation of cultural heritage is a core task of the SPK – our conservators bear key responsibility in this regard. And the SPK covers an enormous range in this field too: from musical instruments and leaflets, through audio tapes and sketches, to ceramics and metal arrowheads; restoration expertise spans from humanity’s earliest cultural artefacts to contemporary art.”
Restorers at the Gemäldegalerie report on the extensive preparations for the special exhibition ‘Portraits!’ (opening on 15 October 2026), and on the restoration of Filippo Lippi’s masterpiece ‘The Adoration in the Woods’ (1459). Using the example of a rediscovered historical frame, visitors can gain an insight into the specialised field of frame restoration.
Preserving contemporary art requires interdisciplinary teamwork: the conservators at the Hamburger Bahnhof – National Gallery of Contemporary Art take visitors on a behind-the-scenes tour of their work with diverse, often fragile materials and technologies such as crumbling plastic, fluorescent lamps, foodstuffs and video tapes.
Restorers at the Kupferstichkabinett trace the marks on the paper: what do they reveal about the paper’s manufacture, age and use – and why is white paper sometimes not white at all? Paper is also the focus for the conservators at the Berlin State Library, who, amongst other things, demonstrate how wartime leaflets from the Second World War are conserved.
Harp and guitars, mandolins, lutes and zithers: the conservator at the Museum of Musical Instruments invites visitors to learn about her work with more than 800 plucked string instruments. At the Museum of the Ancient Near East, the focus is on the restoration of metal objects, whilst the Collection of Classical Antiquities focuses on ceramics. Guided tours at theHumboldt Forum will focus on the restoration of an ornate lacquered cabinet from the Qing Dynasty, a ceremonial pipe of the Omaha (Umoⁿhoⁿ) people from Nebraska, and totem poles from the north-west coast of Canada.
Programme and tickets (limited number of participants):
- Programme of the Berlin State Museums
- Programme of the Museum of Musical Instruments at the State Institute for Music Research
- Programme at the Humboldt Forum
- Programme of the Berlin State Library
General information on European Restoration Day: https://www.tag-der-restaurierung.de/
Press images: https://www.preussischer-kulturbesitz.de/newsroom/presse/pressebilder.html
