Merkel Portrait Becomes Berlin's Surprise Hit — Museum Overwhelmed by Visitor Surge

The official state portrait of Angela Merkel, Germany's first female chancellor, has become an unexpected blockbuster at a Berlin museum, drawing far more visitors than the institution anticipated. Merkel governed for 16 years as one of the world's most influential leaders, raised in the former East Germany and known for strict pragmatism. The surge in popularity has overwhelmed museum capacity.