First check of colonial contexts at Aquazoo Düsseldorf

The Aquazoo at Löbbecke Museum in Düsseldorf is presenting the findings of a first check project funded by the German Lost Art Foundation. The research focused on ethnographic objects originating from colonial contexts.

In the case of some of the approximately 100 objects, it was already known that they came from Cameroon. For this reason, the investigation focused in particular on objects that may have arrived in Düsseldorf in 1936 in connection with a Cameroon expedition conducted by museum director Horst Sieloff (1895 – 1971) for a “colonial exhibition” at Löbbecke Museum and the zoo. It was possible to identify individual items based on historical photographs of the exhibition and also later images. No evidence of violent acquisition was found, but the context remains highly problematic.

The “colonial exhibition” was held in 1937 within the context of Nazi cultural policy, which was rooted in a racist worldview. The exhibition included the inhumane display of human beings at the zoo.

One key aim of the project was to make the objects accessible to the societies from which they originate. The results have now been published on Düsseldorf’s municipal online collection platform https://emuseum.duesseldorf.de, giving researchers and the public direct access to the new findings.

The German Lost Art Foundation’s “first check” model highlights where further research is needed. The Cameroon context in particular offers starting points for more in-depth research, which should also include local archives. The results of the first check provide a solid basis for further research – an important step towards transparency and critical engagement with colonial contexts.

To the project: Initial Check: 100 Ethnological Objects in the Collection of the Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum in Düsseldorf

The research findings will be presented at a public event on Thursday, 10 April 2025, to mark Provenance Research Day.