When one thinks of a globe, they probably first envision a world sphere from the classroom. In the Globe Museum of the Austrian National Library in Vienna, it is now about much more.
For the museum’s 70th birthday on Thursday, a new, multimedia-designed exhibition room is opening. It focuses on the many roles that globes have played over the centuries – from symbols of knowledge and power to toys, design objects, and pop culture motifs.
More than 200 Globes on Display in Vienna
According to the Austrian National Library, the Globe Museum in Palais Mollard on Herrengasse is considered the only museum of its kind worldwide. More than 200 valuable terrestrial, planetary, and celestial globes are presented there, with more than 800 others in the collection.
The permanent exhibition spans from early conceptions of the world in antiquity to globes of the 20th century. It becomes clear how much the image of Earth and the sky has changed over time.
Among the outstanding exhibits are the terrestrial and celestial globes by Gerard Mercator from 1541 and 1551, as well as Austria’s oldest terrestrial globe by Gemma Frisius from the year 1536.
A Globe Does Not Simply Show the World
The new presentation deals with a fundamental question: How did people view the world before satellite images changed our perspective of the Earth?
Globes have always been mirrors of their time. They not only show geographical knowledge but also the ideas that a society had of its world.
The National Library points to a current UN resolution on an area-accurate world map. It makes clear that maps and globes do not merely depict the world but also make cultural and political ideas about it visible.
From Ruler’s Object to Toy
The history of the globe is also a history of societal changes.
Originally, globes were primarily found in the homes of rulers and nobility and were considered expressions of scholarship, knowledge, and power. With the increasing mass production in the 19th century, they became affordable for broader segments of the population.
School and toy globes represent this development. In the 20th century, the globe finally became a decorative home object. Illuminated globes with elaborately designed stands were meant to convey modernity and cosmopolitanism.
Globes Even Appear in „The Great Dictator“
Particularly unusual is the view of the globe in film and television.
The new presentation shows how the globe was used as a symbol for power, world domination, or global connections. In the Globe Museum, this includes appearances in „The Great Dictator“ and scenes from „The Pink Panther.“
Advertising and image films, as well as the intros of historical news and educational programs, also utilized the globe motif.
What Do Globes Have to Do with Vienna?
A dedicated multimedia station is devoted to globes in the Vienna cityscape.
Because even outside of museums, one frequently encounters globes – for example, on rooftops or facades. The new exhibition space focuses on these objects and showcases their different functions and appearances.
70 Years of the Globe Museum
The roots of the collection go back much further. They lie in the imperial court library. The Globe Museum has existed as an independent institution since 1956.
For the anniversary, a part of the history that has previously been less in focus is now being told with the new space: not only what globes represent, but also the significance people have attributed to them.
Director General Michaela Mayr describes globes as „mirrors of their time“ and points to the opportunity to explore the collection through tours and workshops for various age groups.
Anniversary Evening in Downtown Vienna
The new exhibition space will be officially presented at the anniversary event on September 24, 2026, starting at 6 PM.
The event will take place at the Globe Museum of the Austrian National Library, Herrengasse 9, 1010 Vienna. Admission to the event is free, and no registration is required.
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.
