Museum Five Continents

The Museum Five Continents roots go back to the 19th century, with the official founding of the "Ethnographic Museum" in 1862.

The driving force behind this was King Maximilian II of Bavaria (him again!), who, like with the Bavarian National Museum, wanted to create a place to showcase the world’s cultures to the people of Bavaria. He believed in the importance of understanding and appreciating the diversity of human experience.

The museum has grown and evolved a lot since then, reflecting changing perspectives on ethnography and global cultures. A significant moment was its renaming to "Museum Five Continents" in 2014.

It offers an incredible breadth of collections, spanning art, everyday objects, religious artifacts, and much more, from cultures across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Oceania. You’ll encounter masks from Papua New Guinea, textiles from Peru, Buddhist sculptures from Tibet, and countless other treasures.

The museum strives to present objects in a way that encourages visitors to learn about the beliefs, values, and social structures of the cultures they represent.

Today, the museum is very active in engaging with contemporary issues related to globalization, cultural exchange, and the legacy of colonialism.