What the renovation of the State Museum has to do with Steffi Graf - Karlsruhe Palace closes for massive renovation and artefact relocation
Karlsruhe Palace, a historic building, has closed its doors for a major renovation project. The Baden State Museum is now preparing the site, with full construction set to begin in two years. In the meantime, staff are busy packing and relocating around 17,500 exhibits from the collection.
The palace first shut to the public in late September to allow for initial preparations. Before work could start, the museum had to return roughly 350 long-term loans to their original owners. Among these were sports items belonging to tennis legend Steffi Graf and ski-jumping champion Dieter Thoma.
With those pieces returned, the focus has shifted to carefully packing and moving the remaining exhibits into secure storage. The process will take time, as each item must be handled with care before the full-scale renovation kicks off.
Despite the closure, one notable piece will still be on public view. An Amun statue from the collection has been loaned to the Egyptian Museum in Turin, where it will be displayed temporarily.
The renovation will mark a significant update for the historic palace. Once complete, the building will reopen with its collections properly preserved and displayed. For now, the museum's team continues the meticulous task of clearing and storing thousands of artefacts.
