New Berlin Museum - Printable Version

Time has been erasing the memories of Humanity and some things long forgotten suddenly become interesting, no matter how ordinary they might have once been. Searching for a truth long obscured by the mists of time archaeologists have unearthed many wonders. At first archaeology didn't prosper in Sirius, for when the very existence of a community is in question there is rarely enough time or resources available to such unnecessary endeavours. Apart from that there was nothing worth to searching for. In those first centuries Sirius was an almost empty book, with only a few pages covered with letters. As time passed and more and more pages were being written some of the less important ones fell out of the great book of human knowledge. And it is then, in that precise moment, archaeology was re-born. Several institutions began the search for those lost pages, each in its own house. In Rheinland it was the New Berlin Museum.

Founded just before the start of the eighty-year war in times of relative prosperity, economic and cultural golden era funds were not scarce, mainly because the New Berlin Museum always had a knack of finding things first. It was roughly at that time when the ancient artefacts were beginning to take their place as a status symbol. Public began to realise that the remnants of the Daam K'Vosh are something physical, something you can possess, touch and brag about. Artefact trade boomed. As a response to the rapidly increasing number of amateur archaeologists the New Berlin's academic circles began accepting a new field of study. Xenoarchaeology. Every research institution in Sirius that had anything to do with civilian research joined the race to acquire as many artefacts as they could and possibly find an intact archaeological site. New Berlin Museum also joined the quest to find the holy grail of xenoarchaeology: an 'active' alien artefact. No one knew that it will take almost three centuries to find it. In those centuries Rheinland's power dwindled. However, the Museum still exists and strives for knowledge. It has written dozens of pages and re-discovered just as many. In that way it has been up keeping the proud tradition of Rheinland.

One of the most influential academics of the period was Rudolf Bleiweis who practically run the entire archaeological program from 562 (the year it was founded) to 594 A.S. He is generally regarded as one of the founding fathers of the museum. He is also known for his futile attempts to organise a state financed expedition to the extremely remote Edge nebula. None of his ambitious plans materialised as all civilian research was disturbed by a looming threat of war. Eighty years later war's end came without salvation. In empty underground halls, hidden behind massive metal doors hundreds of artefacts, both human and alien of origin gathered dust. In those dark days many were sold to sustain a meagre existence. Certainly none of the buyers paid through their nose. As one journalist wrote;

"Our own identity, objects our ancestors have cherished, things they have acquired in their own sweat and blood are now being given away. Did all the brave men and women die in vain, only to allow us to continue or meagre existence?"

It took one hundred years and an exceptionally competent man to return Rheinland to its former path of discovery.
Herman Niemann bearer of the same surname as the chancellor Florian Gustav Niemann led the New Berlin Museum into a new era of discovery.

Born on planet Stuttgart in 729 A.S. he quickly rose from a relatively obscure position of a curator to the weary top of the archaeological department in 767. At the time there was barely enough money to upkeep the old and decaying buildings and a few old ships that were deemed space worthy, although no one dared to fly them. Under his lead the museum's main source of income changed dramatically. In 760 A.S. 93 per cent and as of 770 only 28 per cent of activities were financed by the government. In fact the state financial resources for the Museum actually remained on the same level as before. What made the difference was drastically increased flow of private funds in form of donations from various firms, most notably the DHC that seemed to have its own interests.

Three expeditions were hastily quipped and sent into the vast uncharted emptiness of space. One headed to the Edge, another to the Walker and the third to the Crow nebula. Three ships headed in each direction all heavily modified and manned by uncommonly young crews. Despite heavy objections, mainly from the academic ranks most of the crew members were only moderately educated in archaeology and as such in eyes of some unfit for the task ahead of them.

On fifteenth of December 795 the first ship returned soon followed by the rest. Group that headed to distant and largely uncharted areas of the Edge nebula returned last, loaded with hundreds of artefacts, many of which were emitting energy in various forms, including visible light seen as a faint glow. Consequently one of the first things that have been noted was the shimmering of the artefacts in the gloomy cargo holds of ships. No ships had been lost and there had been only one death. Medical officer on the 'Edge' (each ship was named after the area it explored) committed suicide by literally jumping into space through an airlock. Her motives were never explained. Despite the fact that everyone working with items of such value as alien artefacts had been carefully chosen and guaranteed to follow strict rules and regulations with outmost care a whole transport of artefacts went missing ' something unheard of. Several inconsistencies in the paperwork were also uncovered mostly regarding the newly discovered material. Embezzlement of funds was also not something completely alien. A handful of employees including Herman Niemann were suspected to have taken part in illegal artefact trading. A law process started, however most of the evidence had to be dismissed due to the fact that it had been obtained in an inappropriate manner. Niemann and a few other suspected collaborators then filed a charge against the neural net broadcasting firm that first brought attention to missing artefacts with a show in which a copy of a document on which letters H and N appeared; supposedly representing Herman Niemann. It was later established that the document in question had been issued as a part of a deal between the New Berlin Museum and the famous clothing producer, the H und N.

Niemann was found dead in his overly spacious and luxurious study in 798. Officially the cause of death was determined as suffixation. A cube of ice in a glass of fine Bretonian whiskey proved fatal. Since then goods from Bretonia are not used in New Berlin Museum. One mystery that has never been resolved is the fact that just the furniture in his study exceeded the total income he officially earned in his career by 4 times. Its value almost entirely matched the value listed on the infamous document regarding the H und N. Of course that was regarded as an extreme coincidence.

During the turbulent years of 799-801 the alien artefact research reached its zenith. Dozens of highly valuable artefacts were obtained; some in a not so legal manner.

After 801 funds became scarce once more as Rheinland descended into a decade of cultural and economic decline.

Currently the New Berlin Museum is becoming a prominent figure in archaeology and history once more; as the decaying building is being restored to its glory of old and thousands flock to admire mankind's and alien historical achievements.