The model collection of ancient monuments, sites and sanctuarie

The Archaeological Museum of the University of Münster houses one of the largest collections of models of ancient monuments, sites and sanctuaries. This collection provides a striking illustration of the reconstructed appearance of buildings, squares and ‘forests of statues’. Particular mention must be made here of the Korfsmeyer Collection, as this itself constitutes a cultural monument, as it were. Furthermore, the unusual scale of 1:100 enhances the clarity of the displays. In particular, the models of the great sanctuaries at Olympia and Delphi, or the Athenian Agora as the ‘cradle of democracy’, bring ancient travel accounts to life in combination with excavation findings and enable a holistic approach to Greek and Roman cultural history.

The majority of the architectural models are currently housed in the museum’s premises on Harkoststraße in Mecklenbeck, the very same location where the plaster casts are kept. It would be desirable to make this section of the museum accessible to the public in the near future.