Hamburg's Panoptikum has a long history, having been open since 1879. In its early years, the collection resembled a historical museum or a carnival, with figures of the city's rulers alongside statues of Siamese twins or bearded women.
Over time, the museum's founders began to make wax figures of people who were not immediately famous. The Panoptikum has grown into a collection of 120 sculptures that are fun to look at with children.
What is there to interest a child? The chance to be photographed next to their idol, for example. The faces, hair and costumes of the wax figures are so lifelike that no one will get the wrong idea when they take a picture. In addition, the sculptures do not stand in front of a white wall, but in an appropriate entourage. For example, Harry Potter is clearly listening to something in the corridors of Hogwarts, while behind Robbie Williams the stage lights are glowing.
Pope Benedict XVI, Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth, Barack Obama and other celebrities greet museum visitors as if they were in their own homes. And older schoolchildren should have no questions about what formula is written on the blackboard behind Albert Einstein.
The incredible resemblance of the statues to the originals is the result of the meticulous work of the sculptor, make-up artist and costume designer. Not least, some of the celebrities posed for their own wax figures. Even after the statue has been created, it still needs work from time to time: repairs, make-up and hair, repainting where the heat has melted the wax.
Michael Jackson's sculpture was particularly tricky — every time the famous singer underwent plastic surgery, his wax figure was also "operated on". It is not known whether the face of boxer Vitali Klitschko had to be altered, but many people want to be photographed next to it.
Meanwhile, the Panoptikum has some truly unique exhibits. For example, the museum has a sculpture from 1908 that has miraculously survived. The figure of Maria Fassnauer — the Tyrolean giant reached a height of 2.27 metres. There's also a statue of the world's fattest man.
When the Panoptikum first opened, it included an anatomy room, which is still in use today. There are wax models of human organs, both healthy and diseased. There is also a collection of glass eyes, the eyes through which the wax figures look at the world.
