Brukenthal National Museum

Muzeul Național Brukenthal

Brukenthal National Museum is the first museum from Romania and also Central Europe (opened for public in 1817) owning his existence to one of the most important personalities from Transylvania, Baron Samuel von Brukenthal,governor of this province in the second half of 18^th century.

Presenting initially the baron’s European painting collection in one building, today the museum hosts a large diversity of valuable collection in 9 buildings, from which 5 are palaces built in different époques: the oldest one (having foundation elements from the 13^th century) is part of the architectonic complex belonging to the Museum of History and the latest is dated from 1901 and hosts the Contemporary Art Gallery.
The Romanian Ministry of Culture and Heritage successively awarded the Brukenthal National Museum for the successful promotion of the Museum’s heritage and the keen sense of the needs and tastes of today’s public in 2007, as well as for the best cultural management of the year 2008.

In 2010, Brukenthal National Museum was announced among the winners of the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage – Europa Nostra Awards, Category 4: Education, Training and Awareness-raising. The Awards celebrate outstanding initiatives, conservation projects, research, and education successes within Europe's cultural heritage sector. The Museum applied to the Europa Nostra Awards with the museum pedagogy programme entitled “Discovering the Museum”, launched in September 2008 under the coordination of PR, Communication and Education Department of the Museum. 

Since 2011, the Museum is member in The Best in Heritage Club, being received in by European Heritage Association in partnership with Europa Nostra.

The Brukenthal Palace and the collections put together by Baron Samuel von Brukenthal represent the nucleus of the present Brukenthal National Museum.
The Brukenthal Palace is one of the most significant Baroque buildings in Romania, its construction taking place between the years 1778 and 1788. The building was raised to serve as the Baron’s official residence and a worthy display case for his collections.
Today, the Brukenthal Palace houses the European Art Gallery and the Brukenthal Library. The European Art Gallery reunites  German and Austrian painting, Flemish and Dutch Painting and Italian Painting and Masterpieces of Brukenthal Collection (the Museum is the only one in Romania having works by Van Eyck, Memling and Titian).

The permanent exhibition displaying Romanian Art has been accommodated in the rooms of the Blue House, near the palace.

Brukenthal National Museum also comprises: The Museum of Natural History, The “August von Spiess” Museum of Hunting, The Museum of Pharmacy, The Museum of History, and The Museum of Contemporary Art.

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