Berlin's Museum Island - Prussia's Treasure House, Germany (200/418)

The museum as a social phenomenon owes its origins to the Age of Enlightenment of the 18th century. The five museums on the Museumsinsel in Berlin, built between 1824 and 1930, represent the realisation of a visionary project and the evolution of approaches to museum design over the century. Each museum has been designed with a view to establishing an organic connection to the art it houses. The importance of the museum's collections - which bear witness to the development of civilisations - is enhanced by buildings' urban and architectural qualities.