How Bach came to the chemistry department
19.11.2025,
A mask by Johann Sebastian Bach can be found in the Deutsches Museum in an unusual context: as part of a thermoforming machine from the Illig company in Heilbronn, it has been catalogued in the chemistry department. Such machines heat materials and then mould them into the desired shape, which is permanent after cooling. The mask is probably modelled on the well-known portrait of Bach by Elias Haussmann, who was evidently a music lover. In addition to the Bach mask, there are also other masks of Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadé Mozart in the collection.
A photo of the mask taken by Hubert Czech was the basis for the entrance image to the app tour, which allows visitors to explore instruments in the Deutsches Museum that are associated with Johann Sebastian Bach - in the exhibition or at home. Anna Hunger from the Deutsches Museum's Internet editorial team transformed it into a pop art-style image.
