Brehm memorial
Coordinates: 50 ° 48 ′ 24.4 " N , 11 ° 50 ′ 49.1" E
The Brehm Memorial is a memorial museum in Renthendorf ( Thuringia , Germany) dedicated to the two naturalists Christian Ludwig Brehm and Alfred Brehm . It was founded in 1946 by Frieda Poeschmann, Alfred Brehm's daughter. While it only consisted of two memorial rooms at the time, it was soon expanded and is still in the former homes and workplaces of the Brehm family. Visitors can find furniture, everyday objects and books from the Brehms, souvenirs from Alfred's travel. E. Brehm and original bird preparations by Christian Ludwig Brehm and find out about the life and work of the two naturalists. The most valuable part of the collection is made up of over 2000 autographs, i.e. manuscripts, from the entire Brehm family. Right next to the Brehm memorial is the Renthendorf church and the cemetery with the Brehm graves.
history
The Brehm memorial was founded in 1946 by Frieda Poeschmann, b. Brehm, founded in the house of the Brehm family built in 1864/65. At that time, however, the memorial only consisted of two rooms (study and living room), which were furnished with old furniture. Poeschmann's nephew, Hans-Renatus Brehm, inherited the building after her death, but gave it to the Renthendorf community as early as 1952, together with its furnishings. From 1952 Gustav Boldt, then headmaster in Renthendorf, took over the honorary management of the memorial rooms, which was replaced by Willi Beer after 1968. In 1973, Beer created a concept for the future development of the memorial, which was also implemented from 1975. Manfred Jeche and Edgar Wolf (1976–1981) followed as further directors. During his time as director, Wolf restored the rooms and made even more extensive museum use possible. From 1983 to 1990 Klaus Fischer was the head of the facility, who continued the restoration work. In 1990, Fischer was replaced by Jörg Hitzing, who held the office until 2012 and, together with the Förderkreis Brehm eV, founded in 1991, made a significant contribution to expanding the collection of documents. In 2012, the Brehm memorial had to be temporarily closed due to the financial situation of the Renthendorf community. The reopening was finally made possible by the establishment of a special purpose association “Brehm Memorial in Renthendorf”, which is made up of six surrounding communities and is managed by Volker Bauer. Jochen Süss was appointed as the new director of the memorial and since then he has been working in particular to secure and restore the building, which is urgently needed, and to raise the necessary funds. The renovation of the building began in 2013 and should be completed in 2018. During this time, the former exhibition in the parsonage in Renthendorf, the home and work place of Christian Ludwig Brehm, is open to visitors. On April 28, 2017, the "Alfred Edmund and Christian Ludwig Brehm Foundation" was founded, which is to be the sponsor of the museum in the future.
exhibition
The exhibition at the Brehm Memorial, which was designed in the 1980s and is still partially available today, focuses on the life and work of Alfred Edmund and Christian Ludwig Brehm. In addition to the authentic homes and workplaces themselves, in which both naturalists lived, the parts of the exhibition that still exist today contain original everyday objects from the Brehm company; Letters, books and pictures of the Brehms, travel souvenirs by Alfred Brehm, as well as original bird preparations by Christian Ludwig Brehm and numerous other dermoplastics of birds can be seen. Furthermore, the Brehm graves at the nearby church can be visited. The memorial is currently advertising with the inspection of the Brehm residential building like a 'glass construction site'. Visitors can watch restoration work here and take part in the redesign of the museum. The exhibition is currently being redesigned and, according to the employees, will also deal with topics that go beyond the life and work of the naturalist Brehm.
collection
In addition to the exhibits mentioned, the memorial also owns around 1300 original autographs from the Brehm family (including around 700 by Alfred Brehm) and a further 600 autographs in the form of copies. These include letters, (shorthand) postcards and travel diaries, which are to be made freely accessible online as part of the conceptual realignment of the museum. The collection also includes the Brehms' house and research library, which has continued to grow even after Alfred Edmund Brehm's death. It currently comprises around 13,000 volumes. Around 300 photographs and individual expedition drawings are also part of the collection. The memorial also has original furniture from the Brehm family, which is currently being restored and is therefore only partially accessible.
See also
Web links
literature
- Dietrich von Knorre: The Brehm memorial in Renthendorf . In: Hans-Dietrich Haemmerlein: Alfred Brehm. Biography in time and personal testimonials . Sax-Verlag Beucha, Markkleeberg 2015.