Reaching Out (December 2024)

On the current state of our research project.

- by Carla-Marinka Schorr

During a research project the outreach phase is always particularly exciting. As part of our AHRC-DFG research project Cultural Dynamics: Museums and Democracy in Motion, we have made a lot of contacts over the last months, and the research is now in full swing.

We have visited numerous museums all over Germany. The focus of our attention recently has been on Leipzig, Weimar and Cologne in particular, but also Rastatt, Offenburg, Lübeck and Berlin. Analysing the exhibition work of the Willy Brandt Haus in Lübeck was particularly informative. The mutual interest and common goal of a well-founded examination of ‘exhibiting democracy’ has been especially rewarding.

Overall, we have been fortunate to note a significant interest in our research. We were able to attract three guest lecturers for the project related course in the summer semester at Würzburg University. Natalie Weinz (Atelier Brückner) reported on the design of the Demokratikum in Vienna, Alexander Schwanebeck (formerly Haus der Geschichte Baden-Württemberg) spoke about democracy and participation in his exhibition project, and Angelina Schäfer (Historisches Museum Frankfurt) presented on the CityLab ‘Democracy: From the promise of equality’. The students engaged in a lively exchange and the combination of theoretical contents and practical examples appeared to be fruitful.

We have also had many exciting discussions at various conferences that our team members were able to attend this year. In October, the public lecture series DemokraTea: Museums and Democracy in Motion started off with a lecture by Jan Stassen (Museum für Werte) on social infrastructures, followed by Raphael Seifen (bipar), who presented on numerous formats of participatory citizen involvement in his lecture in November. The lecture series will continue in January and will hopefully continue reach many museum practitioners and students, and beyond.

Since the autumn, our focus has shifted back to the UK, as we have visited some museums in London and are progressing with our research into grassroots initiatives and activist museums. Many more field visits and interviews are planned for the next few months, which we are very much looking forward to, as we are growing out networks and research contacts for more insightful exchanges.

Photo: View into the backyard of the Willy Brandt Haus Lübeck, by Carla-Marinka Schorr.

Last modified: Thu, 19 Dec 2024 09:32:36 GMT