The collection comprises more than 800 objects from the last six centuries and offers an overview of the European stylistic history of furniture. The foundation for this was laid in 1892 by Wilhelm von Bode (1845-1929), who acquired a four-door walnut cabinet from a villa in Genoa. This piece of furniture from the second half of the 16th century, supported by winged sphinxes and decorated with carved masks, palmettes and friezes, was the first piece in the Magdeburg collection and is now a unique treasure in the furniture collection.
From baroque floor cupboards to tapestry-embroidered bootjacks from Hamburg, Lübeck and Gdansk, the collection offers a journey through time, through the homes and furnishings of mainly well-to-do families in European regions. The collection includes chests in various shapes for storing textiles and other items, writing furniture ranging from the delicate ladies’ secretary to the heavy writing cabinet, seating furniture from the wooden folding chair to the upholstered armchair, but also cradles, mirrors and some musical instruments. There is also bedroom and kitchen furniture from around 1920 and many other wooden home utensils that embody the respective style of their time of origin.
