The Germanic Museum Opened.

The Germanic Museum was opened to the public for the first time yesterday afternoon. The Rogers Building has been renovated throughout and affords a very satisfactory place for the exhibition. It is peculiarly adaptable to such a purpose on account of the excellent lighting facilities, permitting the large pieces of statuary to be seen to the best advantage. The floor space is amply sufficient for the collection as it stands at present, but more room will be necessary when the gifts from the German Emperor and the Swiss Federal Council have been received. The entire collection as it stands at present with the exception of one or two pieces, is the result of purchases made by Professor Kuno Francke while traveling on the continent last summer.

One of the most striking pieces of the exhibition is the heroic statue of King Arthur, the original of which is in the Hofkirche at Innsbruck. The figure is clad in full armor, the right hand resting on a shield bearing the arms of England. This statue and the effigy from the tomb of the Emperor Maximilian near it, were both executed by the famous sixteenth century sculptor, Peter Vischer. Another interesting piece is the figure of a Frankish warrior of the fifth century, dressed in the national costume and bearing an axe and spear, the original of which is in the Museum of Mainz.

Another period of German culture is represented in the groups and statuettes elaborately carved in wood, from Bruggemann's altarpiece in the Cathedral of Schleswig, dating from the sixteenth century. Another good illustration of this class of sculpture is the elaborately carved doorway from the Hirschvogelsaal in Nuremberg which was presented to the Museum by the Deutscher Verein. Among other notable specimens in the exhibition may be mentioned a choirscreen from St. Michael's church, Hildesheim, twelfth century, presented to the Museum by Arthur P. Schmidt of Boston; baptismal font from the Cathedral at Hildesheim, twelfth century; model of a boat dating from the fifth century, the original of which was found in the Mydam Moor, and which is now in the Museum at Kiel; the so-called Bernward Column from the Cathedral of Innsbruck, richly carved with scenes from the life of Christ; three cases of bronze plaquettes by Peter Floetua dating from the sixteenth century; the Auerbach collection of plaquettes from the Museum of Basle, dating from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The walls of the building are hung with photographs, illustrating ecclesiastical architecture in Germany.