If you live near or planning a vacation to Germany, you now have one more destination to go: a new museum in the German town Baden-Baden.
On May 9 2009 Russian tycoon Alexander Ivanov is planning to open first “world’s only museum dedicated to the Russian Imperial jeweler Faberge” there.
“The collector had originally planned to show his treasure trove of Russian art in the country’s capital and now reveals it will open instead on May 9 in the German spa town of Baden-Baden. Ivanov, 46, says he’s a patriot and only changed his mind because of the high cost of building and Russian bureaucracy. He says his 3,000-piece collection is worth about $1.5 billion. ”
“Ivanov said he chose Baden-Baden, near Germany’s western border, because it’s “close to France, a resort for the rich, and historically it has always been the most popular resort for Russians.” The local government has also been supportive, he said.”
“The German word ‘Baden’ translates as ‘to bath/bathe’”.
“The 19th century saw the town rise to become a meeting place for celebrities, attracted by the hot springs as well as by the famous Casino, luxury hotels, horse races, and the gardens of the Lichtentaler Allee. Baden-Baden was then nicknamed the European summer capital.”
Read about this city here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baden-Baden.
“Entrance to the Faberge Museum will cost 20 euros. Ivanov’s most pessimistic forecast is 200,000 visitors a year, and he’s planning for up to 500,000.
“Even at 100,000 visitors a year we would cover costs,” said Ivanov, whose office is one block from the czarist-era Faberge shop in Moscow, now occupied by a bistro. “The collection needs to make money and to pay its way.”
“The House of Faberge was founded in St. Petersburg in 1842 by Gustav Faberge.”
Company’s goldsmiths made jewelry and luxury items for the Russian tsar’s family and other kings and riches.
“In addition to Easter eggs, the company made a wide range of jewelry and decorative artworks, the most famous of which are semi-precious stone and jeweled figures of people, animals, and vases with flowers. The company had international brand recognition, with a shop in London, and it counted as a customer the King of Siam (now Thailand).”
Read more about Fabergé Easter eggs here: Wikipedia.org. Faberge Eggs
About House of Faberge here: Wikipedia.org. House of Faberge
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com
