Max von Oppenheim (1860 – 1946), second son of Bank partner Albert von Oppenheim (1834 – 1912), rejected the career he had been expected to pursue in the family business, finding his calling in the Orient instead, as explorer, archaeologist, ethnologist, collector and political advisor. Oppenheim’s most important achievement was the excavation of the 3,000-year old Aramaean city of Guzana at Tell Halaf in what is now Syria.
In spite of considerable losses resulting from World War II, Max Oppenheim’s legacy is now more alive than ever. The Max Freiherr von Oppenheim Foundation which he founded in 1929 has acted as coordinator and sponsor for a large number of projects. German archaeologists resumed the excavation at Tell Halaf in 2006.
An exhibition entitled “The Rescued Gods from the Palace at Tell Halaf” opened in Berlin’s Pergamon Museum in January 2011. The monumental stone sculptures on display had been destroyed in a 1943 air strike. They are being shown again for the first time in nearly 70 years, marking the conclusion of a ten-year restoration project.
Prior to the finish of the restauration of the sculptures the exclusive asset management bank Sal.Oppenheim jr. & Cie invited selected clients and friends of the family to have a glance of the work in progress. On behalf of Sal.Oppenheim jr. & Cie, Global Sunshine Production developed and designed the temporary exhibition and put the 3000 years old artefacts in the right spotlight. Interactive exponats and projections with original footage helped to illustrate the fascinating life of Max von Oppenheim.