Description of the attraction
The Baron Munchausen Museum in Moscow was founded on August 14, 2002. For a long time it existed only in the form of traveling exhibitions. In 2006, the museum acquired a permanent exhibition. She tells about the history of the creation of the book "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen", about who became the prototype of Munchausen and about the interpretations of the image of the hero in art and literature.
Baron Munchausen - the hero of many beloved books, has a very real origin. In Germany in the 18th century there lived a nobleman by the name of Munchausen. His biography is in many ways similar to the biography of a literary hero.
The Munchausen family included famous nobles and warriors. The commander Hilmar von Munchausen became famous. In the 18th century, the Minister of the Court of Hanover, Gerlach Adolf von Munchausen, founded the University of Göttingen. World fame fell to the lot of Munchausen, who belonged to the Lower Saxon branch of the Munchausen and was listed in the genealogy book at number 701.
Hieronymus Karl Friedrich von Munchausen was born on the Bodenwerder estate near Hanover on May 11, 1720. This house still stands in our time, it houses the city administration. Nearby is the small Munchausen Museum. The town, located on the banks of the Weser River, is decorated with sculptures of a literary hero and the most famous countryman.
The books about Baron Munchausen were based on the oral stories of the real Munchausen about his invented adventures. The author created the hero of the stories from himself. He invented his literary double, gave him his name and part of his real biography. The printed stories that made the author famous appeared in the magazine "Guide for Merry People" in 1781. At this moment, there was a complete merger of the real Munchausen and the literary. A total of 16 stories were published.
In 1785, the first English book about the adventures of Baron Munchausen was published. The book was written by Rudolf Erich Raspe, but his name was missing on the cover of the book. The book consisted of 64 stories. In 1793, the seventh edition of the book was published. It already included 200 stories.
G. A. Burger is a German poet and scientist. He supplemented stories about fantastic adventures with satire and new plots. His book on the adventures of Baron Munchausen was published in 1786, also anonymously. So, in the co-authorship of three authors, the image of the hero was formed, and books about his adventures became a world bestseller.
In Russia, the adventures of the baron were received with enthusiasm. Under his own name Munchausen appeared in Russia in the middle of the 19th century. During the Soviet period of history, books about the adventures of Munchausen were printed for children in large editions, retelling Chukovsky. "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" with the original, full text of GA Burger, was published in Russian in 1956. W. Waldman was the translator.
The Moscow Museum has repeatedly held exhibitions in Germany. All excursions in the museum are fun, with rallies and attractions. Annually on May 11, the museum celebrates Munchausen's birthday, and also holds (from May 31 to June 1) a humorous holiday "May 32".
