Allard Pierson Museum

The Allard Pierson Museum is the archaeological museum of the University of Amsterdam. It is located at Oude Turfmarkt in Amsterdam. The Allard Pierson Museum are artifacts from ancient Egypt, the ancient Near East, ancient Greece, collected from Etruria, and from the Roman Empire and issued. Director since 2009, holds a doctorate in provincial archaeologist and historian Wim Hupperetz.

Foundation

The name of the museum is to Allard Pierson (1831-1896), the first Professor of Classical Archaeology at the University of Amsterdam, back. Pierson turned 1877-1895 together a collection of plaster casts. His successor was possessed of Jan Six has a large collection of books and antique objects. As Six died in 1926, this collection for the university proved to be essential. 1932 founded Pierson's son Jan Lodewijk Pierson to create the Allard Pierson Stichting an antique collection for research and teaching. The collection was housed in a building on the Weesperzijde in Amsterdam, where the top floor was used as a museum.

The collection grew through acquisitions, donations and loans of artifacts and documents. The Allard Pierson Museum was officially opened in a building on the Sarphatistraat 129-131 ( corner Roeterstraat ) on 12 November 1934. This building proved over time to be too small.

The building

A larger building was available, as the Nederlandsche Bank in 1976 left her monumental seat at the Oude Turfmarkt. On the occasion of the reopening of the museum in this building by Princess Beatrix on 6 October 1976, the museum received a gift some great sculptures.

The Collection

Represented are works of art and consumer goods from Ancient Egypt, the ancient Near East, ancient Greece, from Etruria, and from the Roman Empire. The collection contains items from a 4000 BC to 500 AD period ranging and models of ancient temples and other buildings. In the ancient Egyptian mummies department, sarcophagi and a film about the process of mummification are shown in a space of death in Egyptian culture is dedicated to. A roof space with plaster casts of Greek and Roman statues known can only be visited by guided tour.

Supporters Association

The Vereniging van Vrienden van het Allard Pierson Museum (Association of Friends of the Allard Pierson Museum - ) was founded in 1969 and supports with its approximately 1,500 members, the exhibitions and activities of the museum.