Exhibition in Gießen "Zwischen Sammelwut & Forschungsdrang. Koloniale Kontexte in Gießen"
The museum is implementing the project together with the Ethnographic Collection of the University of Marburg from November 2020 to October 2022. On show until 15 January 2023, the exhibition provides insight into the various stages involved in provenance research and traces how the ethnographic objects eventually found their way to Gießen. The multi-faceted nature of collecting during the colonial era is exemplified by collectors such as Theodor Koch-Grünberg and Reinhard Houy.
Not all of the origin stories can be reconstructed: after all, documented historical sources relating to the countless expedition helpers, porters, translators and producers of the objects are only available in exceptional cases.
Insight into the collaborative research undertaken with two museums in Tanzania and Cameroon illustrate the diverse range of possibilities in approaching the history of the collection and closing gaps in research.
One particularly interesting aspect of the exhibition is that it was created in collaboration with individuals who have very differing associations with the Ethnographic Collection, including a large network of museum visitors and staff.
See here for details