Museum Openings This Weekend in Amsterdam and Athens

The Hermitage Amsterdam has been moved into its new home, the restored 17th-century Amstelhof building in the historic heart of Amsterdam, shown on the right. It's about ten times larger than the old museum. On Saturday June 20th, 2009 at 10 a.m. it will open it's doors to the public. But those who enjoy public spectacle will want to be there the day before:

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and the President of the Russian Federation, Mr. Dmitry Medvedev, are attending opening celebrations of the Hermitage Amsterdam museum on the evening of Friday, June 19, one day prior to the public opening of the museum on June 20, 2009. Other members of the Dutch Royal family expected to attend include Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima. Shortly after the ceremonies there will be a special public opening concert and ballet on an enormous stage on the Amstel River to which all visitors are welcomed to celebrate the festive opening of the Hermitage Amsterdam.

The special exibit: At the Russian Court: Palace and protocol in the 19th century--"a scholarly researched exploration of the opulent material culture, elaborate social hierarchy and richly layered traditions of the Tsarist court at its height in the 19th century"--will be open for viewing through the end of the year. For more, see Hermitage Amsterdam.

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Greece will open its new Acropolis Museum this weekend. It will be inaugurated on Saturday, then open to visitors on Sunday, June 21, for a €1 entrance fee. The museum is about 400 meters from the Acropolis.

Officials had hoped the new museum would bolster efforts to get the Elgin Marbles returned to their place of origin. deTracy Regula of Greece Travel reports on Britain's willingness to lend (but not return permanantly) the marbles: Greece Holds Firm While Britain Bends on Acropolis Marbles.

Christopher Hichens weighs in on the new museum and the marbles in Vanity Fair. Nicely stated is:

The British may continue in their constipated fashion to cling to what they have so crudely amputated, but the other museums and galleries of Europe have seen the artistic point of re-unification and restored to Athens what was looted in the years when Greece was defenseless.

Photo courtesy Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions