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The museum charting how humans understand the world
BBC • • business
Key Points:
- Vienna's Globe Museum, housed in the 17th-century Palais Mollard, is the only public museum worldwide dedicated exclusively to globes, showcasing over 220 rare and antique spheres mostly created before 1850.
- The museum offers a unique glimpse into humanity's evolving understanding and imagination of the Earth and heavens, featuring terrestrial and celestial globes that reflect historical geography, mythology, and colonial perspectives.
- Visitors experience a serene atmosphere while exploring exhibits that include early luxury globes, educational models, and objects like a 1961 lunar globe with an unmapped far side, highlighting the progression of globe-making and knowledge.
- An upcoming exhibition opening in September 2026 will explore globes' transition from elite status symbols to everyday cultural icons, including their appearances in art, architecture, and film.
- Beyond the museum, Vienna itself hosts around 50 globes displayed on rooftops and facades, with a virtual map encouraging visitors to discover these hidden globes throughout the city.
