25 years of the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology
On 28 March 2023 the museum celebrated its 25th anniversary. In a small ceremony Governor and Museum Councilor Arno Kompatscher paid tribute to everyone who has contributed to the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology’s success story. He assured that the provincial government had already set the course for the further development of the museum.
The long-standing museum director Angelika Fleckinger highlighted the challenges and touching events of the inauguration day 25 years ago, while the new director Elisabeth Vallazza gave a glimpse of the future of the museum in a new, larger location.
Premiere: The museum has developed an online tour for everyone who cannot visit Ötzi in person. It went live for the first time on 28 March 2023 in three languages and will also be available in future letting enjoy a virtual visit of the museum.
In 1991 people all over the world marveled at the once-in-a-lifetime find of a Copper Age mummy from a glacier in the Ötztal Alps, the “Iceman”. Ötzi, as he came to be known, was also the reason for creating the long-planned South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology.
At the beginning of 1998 archaeological finds from South Tyrol including the famous mummy and his belongings were moved to a recently renovated building from the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire located at the edge of Bolzano’s pedestrian zone. On 28 March 1998 the time had finally come: the new museum opened its doors to the public.
Since then, more than 6 million people from around the world have visited the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology. Interest continues to this day and the crowds regularly exceed the building’s capacity.
Photos:
Numerous people who have contributed to the success story of the museum in the past and today celebrated the 25th anniversary of the museum. In the cover photo from left to right: director Elisabeth Vallazza, governor of the Province of South Tyrol and museum councilor Arno Kompatscher, long-standing director Angelika Fleckinger (c) South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology / Andrea Battagin
