THE GERMANIC MUSEUM

With the change of the administration of the Germanic Museum has come a change in policy which is greatly to be commended. Formerly the museum acdontarily collected dust. It's huge plaster casts of bronze monuments throughout Germany, casts which Kaisar Wilhelm presented to the University when he was currying favor in America, rested undisturbed. Countless architectural photographs, dull and uninteresting, lined the walls. Only people attracted by the extraordinary beauty of the building itself ever returned to the museum.

The new administration has brought about decided changes. The more bulky casts have disappeared. The walls have been swept clean of the distasteful photographs. Changes which no one would have thought possible have been brought about. The remaining casts have been arranged so that they are shown to best advantage. They are no longer crowded together in the all too small exhibition rooms, but now can be seen from various angles at sufficient distances. Exhibitions of modern German art have been arranged. Instead of mere reproductions, original works of sculpture are being shown, as well as drawings and paintings, a field formerly neglected by the museum. Furthermore there are being given periodically concerts of seventeenth and eighteenth century music, much in keeping with the atmosphere of the museum. Likewise lectures on art both in German and English have been schedulled.

That a museum should become so completely changed in the space of half a year is remarkable; that it should be so greatly improved, commendable. Today a museum should be much more than a mere place of permanent exhibition. It should act as a lively stimulation for interest in art, it should be medium of instruction as well as a place for research. Such the Germanic museum has become, and as such it will carry on the spirit of its founder, the late Kuno Francke.