museum in Nürnberg, Ger., housing Europe's largest and most comprehensive collection of German art and artifacts.

The vast permanent collection contains more than one million unique pieces, which date from prehistoric times to the present day. The museum's permanent exhibition documents various periods of German history. Neolithic tools offer insights into the country's earliest cultures. Other items from antiquity include a 3,000-year-old golden headdress and a bejeweled eagle fibula. Items belonging to historical royals and an impressive display of armour and weaponry represent the German Middle Ages. Works of nearly every major German artist are housed in the museum, and scientists are also accounted for with such items as Martin Behaim (Behaim, Martin)'s Nürnberg Terrestrial Globe, the oldest existing globe. Perhaps most noteworthy of all is the museum's collection of works by German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer (Dürer, Albrecht). Textiles, folk art, sculpture, painting, and crafts highlight Germany's evolution and its contributions to various fields. Its other holdings include a toy collection and a renowned display of historical musical instruments.