neue Krippendepot des Bayerischen Nationalmuseums, München

The New Storage of Crèches in the Bavarian National Museum Munich. Mounting Trays and Glazed Cabinets The collection of crèches at the Bavarian National Museum holds about 5500 items. The former repository rooms were unsatisfactory both in terms of conservation as well as practical aspects. In order to allow for the necessary remedial building works, the items were relocated and kept accessible for several years in a temporary depot until the existing rooms were refurnished. Sculptures with delicate surfaces are now stored upright with minimal surface contact on specially developed trays. This mounting system has proved very effective. Despite careful planning, the new cabinets for smaller and medium sized objects presented considerable problems in regard to the sealing material and its stability. It became obvious that manufacturer and/or distributor specifications are not always sufficient or correct. Given that storage infrastructure is usually intended for use over a long period and that it generally experiences little air exchange, strict conservation parameters should be implemented. In the case of redesigning storerooms one should therefore consider testing cabinet prototypes and if necessary, conducting thorough material analysis