Historical Museum of the Palatinate

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Historical Museum of the Palatinate
Speyer, Museum der Pfalz.JPG
Historical Museum of the Palatinate as seen
from the cathedral tower (2013)
Data
place Speyer
Art
architect Gabriel von Seidl
opening 1910
Number of visitors (annually) > 200,000
operator
Historical Museum of the Palatinate Speyer Foundation
management
Website
ISIL DE-MUS-126810

The Historical Museum of the Palatinate in the Rhineland-Palatinate episcopal city of Speyer in the immediate vicinity of the Romanesque imperial cathedral has around a million exhibits (as of 2018). It opened in 1910.

The Museum , with over 200,000 visitors a year to the attractions of the city, which annually receives two million tourists. With its extensive collections, permanent exhibitions and thematically diverse special exhibitions, it is one of the most important historical museums in Germany.

history

The forerunner of the museum was the Antikenhalle , initiated by District President Joseph von Stichaner and built by the government building officer Johann Philipp Mattlener in 1826 at the cathedral , in which mainly stone objects were shown, while the others were stored in the town hall. The Heidentürmchen has also been mentioned a few times, but it should only have served as a magazine.

In 1869 the collections of the Historical Association of the Palatinate , the Rhine District, the Palatinate (Bavaria) and the city of Speyer were combined to provide a comprehensive presentation of the history of the Palatinate and, as had been planned before the building was erected, in six rooms in the east wing of the third On the 1st floor of the school building erected in 1866/67 on the area of ​​the Augustinian monastery (Speyer) on Siebertplatz (today Willy-Brandt-Platz), where the main office of the Sparkasse Vorderpfalz is located today. In 1873, some objects from the antiquities hall were moved to the basement of the school building, but shortly afterwards they were set up in the courtyard, as the basement rooms had probably been rented to private individuals. In 1874 the objects were finally brought from the school courtyard and from the antique hall to the school's former workshop. At the same time, the collection on display on the third floor grew so that it eventually extended over the entire floor of the east wing. The city then had the current building erected in the immediate vicinity of the cathedral on the site of a former barracks according to plans by the architect Gabriel von Seidl (1848–1913); the topping-out ceremony took place in 1908. At the end of 1909 the collections moved from the school to the new building, which was inaugurated in 1910. After around 80 years, the museum received an extension in 1990.

The recently established Foundation Historisches Museum der Pfalz Speyer became the sponsor of the museum in 1985. The founders are the District Association of the Palatinate , the City of Speyer, the Diocese of Speyer , the Evangelical Church of the Palatinate , the State of Rhineland-Palatinate and the Historical Association of the Palatinate.

The directors of the museum were always scientists who represented different directions: Meinrad Maria Grewenig is an art historian, Cornelia Ewigleben is an archaeologist , Alexander Koch was a prehistoric. Koch's successor was the archaeologist Eckart Köhne , previously head of the Rheinisches Landesmuseum in Trier , who moved to Karlsruhe in 2014. He was followed by the historian Alexander Schubert , who previously worked as Scientific Director at the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museums in Mannheim. Cathérine Biasini has been working at the Junge Museum Speyer since 1998 .

The conversion into a foundation and the expansion of the museum with a special exhibition area of ​​1800 m² formed the basis for a reorientation of the museum concept. In addition to the traditional tasks of collecting, preserving and researching, an important new accent was set in the area of ​​mediation with consistent visitor orientation. Visiting the museum should be a special experience for visitors, in which history and culture are presented in an exciting and lively manner. The museum performs the tasks of a state museum in the Palatinate region and aims to encourage engagement with the cultural history of the region in an international context.

Management (directors)

Historical Museum of the Palatinate Speyer

Young Museum Speyer

Visitor numbers

  • 2005: 157.333
  • 2006: 191.201
  • 2007: 240,000
  • 2008: 200,000
  • 2009: 210,000
  • 2014: 243,743
  • 2015: 252,537
  • 2016: 160,982
  • 2017: 180,586
  • 2018: 199.307
  • 2019: 180.962

Exhibition offer

overview

"Rot Blau", light installation by Michael Seyl , 1998
View from the southeast (2009)

On an area of ​​almost 8000 m², the museum's permanent exhibitions present the history of the region from prehistory through Roman times to modern times . Special exhibitions on an area of ​​up to 2100 m² for children, adolescents and adults as well as families deal with people and events of partly supraregional to global importance.

Permanent exhibitions

The museum's permanent collection focuses on the following:

Cathedral treasure

The Speyr Cathedral Treasury contains important evidence of the Salian ruling dynasty, including the imperial crown of Konrad II from 1039. The exhibits, including the lead coffin of King Philip of Swabia from the Staufer family with completely preserved grave goods, were excavated Found under the royal choir of the Speyer Cathedral in 1900.

The emperor's last clothes

Under the title The Emperor's Last Clothes. Rescuing the organic finds from the imperial and royal graves in Speyer Cathedral , the museum presents the results of the research and conservation of important medieval textiles from the graves of the emperors and kings buried in the cathedral.

prehistory

The prehistory of the Palatinate shows exhibits that document the cultural, social and economic development in the Palatinate from the oldest traces of human presence to the eve of the Roman occupation. In addition to the so-called Golden Hat from Schifferstadt , artistic gold jewelry is also shown.

Roman times

The Roman period collection provides insights into the time when the Romans ruled the area of ​​today's Palatinate, which at that time belonged to the province of Upper Germany . A special object from the time of Emperor Augustus is the Centaur's head from Homburg- Schwarzenacker (around 10 BC).

Modern times

The modern era contains information and exhibits from the Renaissance to the period after the Second World War (from Martin Luther to Konrad Adenauer ). The core of the permanent exhibition is made up of the Frankenthal porcelain , the baroque paintings and the precious robes from the Bassermann-Jordan family estate, as well as the black, red and gold flag that was carried at the Hambach Festival . The works of the Speyer-born artist Anselm Feuerbach are of high artistic standing .

Wine museum

Wine Museum, Roman Wine, Speyer around 325 (found in 1867), is considered the oldest preserved grape wine in the world

The Wine Museum Collection shows unique exhibits from the world of wine , including the oldest wine ever found from the 4th century AD. They give an insight into the cultural history of viticulture and wine consumption over a period of 2000 years.

The Historical Association of the Palatinate bought the Hottenmann , an approximately 30 cm high figure made of walnut and silver from the 16th century, at an auction in 1983 and handed it over to the Historical Museum of the Palatinate for the permanent exhibition in the Wine Museum. In 2017 it was stolen from the museum by hitherto unknown persons; its value is estimated at more than 20,000 euros (as of the end of July 2019). After the museum reported the work of art as stolen, it turned out that it probably came from the collection of Heinz Dietel , from whom it was presumably stolen during GDR times. The collector's son, Matthias Dietel, fights for the return of the work of art or for financial compensation. The Historical Association of the Palatinate, as the owner of the property, claims that the property was acquired in good faith in the auction at the time and that the claim for compensation is now statute-barred under applicable law.

Evangelical regional church

The history of the Evangelical Church of the Palatinate is shown . The presentation spans an arc from the pre-Reformation via the Reichstag in Speyer 1529 with the protest to the present. The close connection between the development of the Protestant Church and the history of the Palatinate is shown.

Special exhibitions (selection)

Anselm Feuerbach (2002/2003)

Anselm Feuerbach (1829–1880), born in Speyer, is one of the most important painters of the 19th century. The Anselm Feuerbach exhibition was the painter's first comprehensive retrospective since 1976. Almost 100 works from 35 museums document essential aspects of his painterly concerns. Feuerbach's image of women between ideal and reality, his artistic sense of mission and his personal failure, as well as his longing for Italy and his predilection for musical and poetic topics, form the focus of the exhibition.

On the ball of time - Germany and the soccer world championships since 1954 (2004)

On the 50th anniversary of the soccer world championship in 1954 , the museum presented from May 31st to October 17th, 2004 an overview of all soccer world championships from 1954 to 2006 in the context of politics, economy, culture and zeitgeist. A specially designed part of the exhibition was aimed at children and young people. The exhibition was a joint project of the Historisches Museum der Pfalz and the German Football Association.

Europe's Jews in the Middle Ages (2004/2005)

From November 19, 2004 to March 20, 2005, the exhibition European Jews in the Middle Ages showed medieval Judaism with its two centers on the Rhine and on the Iberian Peninsula. In particular, the exhibition presented the structure of the Jewish communities and the differences in their religious rites and customs. She drew attention to the work of Jewish scholars in religion, philosophy and other sciences. Another focus of the exhibition was the contribution of medieval Jews to the development of society and the economy in European countries. The various exhibition themes were illustrated using selected exhibits from the collection of international lenders. Modern media such as multivisions and computer animation brought the life of the Jews to life in the Middle Ages. The occasion of the exhibition was the 900th anniversary of the consecration of the medieval synagogue in Speyer. The ruins of the synagogue and the completely preserved Jewish ritual bath were integrated into the exhibition concept.

Passing on the exhibition

Robbed and sunk in the Rhine - the barbarian treasure (2006)

More than 1700 years ago, Neupotz's barbarian treasure sank in the floods of the Rhine. In an international project, the museum presented this find to the public together with museums in Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg. With over 1000 pieces - sacred implements, weapons, coins, tools, boat and wagon accessories as well as table and kitchen utensils - made of silver, bronze, brass and iron and weighing more than 700 kg, it is the largest Roman metal find in Europe. The museum also showed a replica of a fully loaded Roman transport wagon on a flat-bottomed ship. In addition to the treasure trove from Neupotz, numerous other finds were shown, including gifts to the gods, votive sheets and jewelry from the booty find from Hagenbach. Another exhibit in the exhibition was the Augsburg victory altar, one of the few surviving written documents about the history of the Germanic invasions.

Passing on the exhibition

Attila and the Huns (2007)

The museum presented the history and culture of the Huns on around 1800 m² of exhibition space . The visitor was shown the nomadic life of the Huns by means of reconstructions, hands-on objects and the use of new media: an attacked Roman fort, a Kyrgyz yurt . Numerous loans from Germany and abroad as well as elaborate productions completed the exhibition.

Samurai (2008)

With the large exhibition, the museum invited visitors to discover the history and culture of the samurai . The visitors encountered the unique armor, and one could also step onto the stage of a Nô theater and experience the influence that the samurai had on the art and culture of ancient Japan. Elaborate productions as well as loans from top-class collections, museums and institutions from home and abroad made it possible to experience the world of the samurai.

The Vikings (2009)

The museum dedicated a comprehensive special exhibition to the Vikings on an area of ​​around 2000 m² and documented this era with archaeological and art-historical evidence. The loans - rune stones, weapons, jewelry, silver treasures, coins, ship parts, pagan grave inventories, evidence of Christianity and much more - came from museums, collections and institutes in the Scandinavian countries themselves as well as from the regions with which the Vikings were in contact. The exhibition also included the latest research results, for example the settlement excavations in Haithabu, as well as findings from experimental archeology, such as the most recent sea voyages on reconstructed Viking ships. Reconstructions and the use of new media contributed to a comprehensive experience of the culture and real life of the "Northmen".

Witches - Myth and Reality (2010)

In the exhibition entitled Witches - Myth and Reality , visitors experienced what the witch belief of the past looked like and how witch fantasies developed in the modern age. In a timeframe from the early modern era to the present, the museum approached the phenomenon of witches through the thematic complexes of belief in witches, witch persecution and witch reception. Based on the worldview and knowledge of the 16th and 17th centuries, the exhibition showed the various causes of the witch persecution. Religious conflicts, wars and the Little Ice Age, the associated agricultural crises, famines and diseases, but also the beginning of a new media age shaped everyday life, in which magic was a natural part of every class. Rare documents such as the letter from the Mayor of Bamberg, Johannes Junius, gave insight into the poignant fate of people who were victims of the witch hunt.

In collaboration with the Toei Company , the exhibition was on view from March 2015 to May 2016 in Japan in the cities of Osaka, Niigata, Nagouya, Hamamatsu, Hiroshima, Tokyo and Fukuoka under the title Secret Witches .

Amazons - Mysterious Warriors (2010/2011)

In the cultural-historical exhibition entitled Amazons - Mysterious Warriors , the museum shed light on the subject in all its facets from antiquity to the present. Arms graves of Scythian women and finds from the Siberian Altai Mountains were exhibited. The burial of a young warrior was discovered there under a burial mound. The Historical Museum of the Palatinate created a reconstruction of the head based on her skull. The visitors could experience how the image of the Amazons changed over the centuries, became a popular topic in art and literature and is still reflected in the understanding of the roles of the sexes today.

The Salians - Power in Transition (2011)

With an exhibition under the title Die Salier . Power in Transition , the museum showed the lives of the Salian rulers and the innovations that they set in motion with their politics. The museum had brought world-class originals from 50 European museums and collections to Speyer. Never before have these precious finds been shown together in one show. The exhibits included examples of high medieval book and ivory art as well as archaeological finds from the 11th and early 12th centuries. The visitors gained insights into the life of the emperors, followed the history of the Jewish community in medieval Speyer and experienced how the Speyer Cathedral was built on the largest construction site of the Middle Ages.

Discover Egypt's Treasures - Masterpieces from the Egyptian Museum Turin (2012)

In 2012 the museum presented evidence of ancient Egyptian culture from the Egyptian Museum in Turin , including sculptures of pharaohs , mummies, intact everyday objects and precious pieces of jewelry. These originals came to Germany for the first time in collaboration with the Egyptian Museum Turin. The objects from the Turin collection included, for example, the 3000-year-old statue of Pharaoh Thutmose I , the sarcophagus of the ancient Egyptian scribe Butehamun, inside of which the so-called mouth opening ritual describes the deceased's path to the afterlife, or the almost completely preserved complex of finds from the Tomb of Minhotep, whose additions testify to the work of the ancient Egyptian workshops in Assiut . The exhibition incorporated important testimonies from all major phases of Egypt's history in a staging with interactive media stations. At the same time, new research results from Assiut, Egypt, based on international collaboration with scientists from Sohag University in Egypt, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Freie Universität Berlin were presented.

Kingdom of Palatinate - The Exhibition (2013)

As a result of the Congress of Vienna, the Palatinate fell to the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1816 , which was then ruled by Maximilian I Joseph, who came from the Zweibrücker line of the Wittelsbach family . Using around 3,000 objects from Palatinate and Bavarian museums, the exhibition showed how, under the rule of Maximilian and his successors, the Palatinate became what it is today, how the kings shaped the Palatinate and which some very important people came from the Palatinate . The exhibition was also the prelude to a series of exhibitions and events during the Wittelsbach Year 2013.

1914–1918 - The Palatinate during World War I (2014 to 2017)

With the spotlight 1914–1918 - The Palatinate in the First World War , the Historisches Museum der Pfalz Speyer, the Dreiländermuseum Lörrach and the Network Museums / INTERREG presented the permanent exhibition Modern Times with a historical “war collection” from the First World War since May 29, 2014 . This was the first time that the largely unknown collection of important contemporary testimonies was made accessible to the public. With posters from the occupied territories of Belgium and France , pamphlets, war postcards and souvenirs and supported by media stations and modern scenography, the visitor got an intensive access to the reality of life a hundred years ago. The wall texts for the exhibition were also published in French and English. The Palatinate was shown in its role as an important supply area near the war front. Military hospitals, prisoner-of-war camps, the armaments industry, the difficult food situation and dealing with the trauma of war were discussed as well as private and public commemoration of the First World War.

Robbed of its history - the barbarian treasure of Rülzheim (2014/2015)

The high-quality pieces were found by a robbery who illegally searched for valuable archaeological cultural property with a metal probe. Only under the pressure of police investigations did he hand over the finds to the State Archeology Speyer . This exhibition is perhaps the most controversial of the Museum and State of Rhineland-Palatinate , which was shown in collaboration with the General Directorate for Cultural Heritage Rhineland-Palatinate (GDKE). After that, the pieces were subjected to intensive scientific processing and the folding chair for conservation, restoration and reconstruction in the workshops of the Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn . The “Barbarian Treasure” is currently being shown again in the Landesmuseum Koblenz as part of the exhibition “vorZEITEN - Archaeological Treasures on the Rhine and Moselle” .

Previous stations

Titanic - The Exhibition: Real Finds, Real Fates (2014/2015)

The exhibition Titanic - The exhibition. Real finds true destinies based on the already in Paris , Amsterdam and Brussels shown exhibition Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition , pointing next 250 original pieces that were discovered during the expeditions from 1987 to 2010, and reconstructions of various premises of the Titanic. The exhibition also sheds light on the background to the planning, the circumstances surrounding the sinking of the Titanic and the reasons for the passengers to travel with this ship. The presentation in Speyer put a special focus on emigrants from the Palatinate who wanted to embark on a new life in America with the Titanic.

Previous stations

Subsequent stations

Speyer city views - then and now (2015)

From March 13th to July 26th, 2015, the Historical Museum of the Palatinate Speyer showed the exhibition Speyer City Views - then and now in the Collection Neuzeit in close cooperation with the Speyer City Archives . This placed historical photographs and drawings next to modern photographs taken from the same perspective and thus gave the visitor an impression of the changes in the cityscape over the centuries.

Life after Luther - A cultural history of the Protestant rectory (2015/2016)

From 2014 to 2017 the German Historical Museum is sending its touring exhibition Life after Luther - A Cultural History of the Protestant Rectory on a nationwide tour. This consists of 30 picture and text panels, which are supplemented by some models, media stations and museum educational elements. In addition, the exhibition at the respective exhibition location is often expanded to include exhibits from the region. It was shown in Speyer from September 12, 2015 to January 10, 2016.

Previous stations

  • Deutsches Historisches Museum Berlin , October 25, 2013 to March 2, 2014
  • St. Petri Church Dortmund, April 27 to May 31, 2014
  • Brüdernkirche Braunschweig, June 16 to July 28, 2014
  • Martin Luther Forum Ruhr Gladbeck, August 24 to October 5, 2014
  • Evangelical Luther Church Community Petri-Nikolai Freiberg, October 11th to December 4th, 2014
  • Crailsheim City Museum in the Spital, December 10, 2014 to January 11, 2015
  • Foyer of the Heilig-Geist-Spital in Bachstrasse Ravensburg, January 15 to February 14, 2015
  • Freudenstadt church district , February 15 to March 7, 2015
  • Foyer of the town hall Heidenheim, March 8th to March 27th, 2015
  • Evangelical parish of St. Nikolai Greifswald, January 1 to March 27, 2015
  • House of the Church Dresden, April 1st to May 2nd, 2015
  • Protestant conference and meeting place at Schloss Beuggen , April 19 to June 21, 2015
  • Ribnitz-Damgarten Monastery Museum / Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, May 18 to August 30, 2015
  • Collegiate Church Wertheim / Baden, July 1st to August 26th, 2015
  • Parish of Grimmen, September 6 to October 4, 2015

"Belonging forever ..." The creation of the Rhine district - 200 years of the Palatinate District Assembly (2016/2017)

From May 13, 2016 to January 8, 2017, the museum dedicated an exhibition to the creation of today's District Day Palatinate. The exhibition led with a focused look through the collection exhibition "Modern Times" and thematized aspects of the early years of the Palatinate under Bavarian rule. The more than 80 exhibits that illuminated the relationship between the Palatinate and Bavaria included the Bavarian state coat of arms, which hung on the building of the royal district government in Speyer, as well as a Bavarian official's hat. The most important item in the exhibition was the “ownership patent” of the Bavarian King Maximilian I Joseph.

Maya. The riddle of the royal cities (2016/2017)

On approximately 1,000 m², 250 exhibits from Central American museums and institutions offered new insights into the culture and history of the Maya. Both the heyday and the decline of this high culture were illuminated. The exhibition presented the latest research. At the time of the exhibition, the catalog for the exhibition was considered the new standard work in the field of Maya research and was already sold out by the end of the exhibition. Around 100,000 visitors saw the exhibition, which was held under the patronage of the then Federal Foreign Minister and now Federal President Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer.      

Speyer World Stage. The era of great state visits (2016-2018)

The exhibition documented the visits to international politics, clerical dignitaries and monarchs that were made between 1984 and 1999 by former Federal Chancellor. D. Dr. Helmut Kohl were invited to the cathedral city. Large-format photographs showed visits by political greats such as Geoge HW Bush senior, Jacques Chirac, Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Jelzin and Margaret Thatcher, but also clerical dignitaries such as Pope John Paul II and Curia Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI. In addition to photographs, film sequences from Rhein-Neckar TV and other contemporary documents such as the Golden Books of the City of Speyer were presented.

Richard the Lionheart. King - Knight - Prisoner (2017/2018)

For the first time ever, a national exhibition was dedicated to the ruler Richard the Lionheart. The focus was on his life story, his origins, his rise and his deep fall at the height of power. Top-class exhibits from museums and libraries in Germany, Austria, England, France, Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland were presented. Among other things, historical casts of the tombs of Richard the Lionheart, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine from the Abbey of Fontevraud as well as the heart box from Rouen, in which Richard's heart was buried, were shown. Almost 100,000 visitors saw the exhibition. It was under the patronage of the Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer.

Marilyn Monroe. The Unknown (2018-2020)

From December 16, 2018 to January 12, 2020, the museum exhibited around 400 selected individual items from the original private estate of Marilyn Monroe and that of contemporary witnesses. Around 65,000 visitors saw the exhibition.

Medicus - The Power of Knowledge (2019/2020)

Since December 8, 2019, the museum has been showing a cultural-historical exhibition on 5,000 years of medical history.

Young Museum Speyer

In 1998 the first children and youth museum in Rhineland-Palatinate was built in the Historisches Museum der Pfalz as part of a pilot project . The aim of this so-called young museum is an age-appropriate presentation of historical topics for children and young people. This is done on the one hand through interactive stations, hands-on objects and experience-oriented staging within permanent and special exhibitions, but also through interactive exhibitions on topics that are currently being dealt with in a special exhibition and through special exhibitions on children's topics such as Playmobil or model railways.

LegoWelt - Playing with Imagination (1998/1999)

With Lego World, the Historical Museum of the Palatinate Speyer continued the series of its toy exhibitions at Christmas time. “Lego - the most ingenious toy in the world”, as the youth book author Jostein Gaarder calls it in Sofie's world , has triumphed around the world since its invention in the 1950s. The Lego bricks are now among the classics among post-war toys. For the first time in Germany, the exhibition with over 200 exhibits traced the history of the technical construction kit, the invention of the Lego brick and the first cast plastic cars to the beginnings, the Lego toys made of wood.

Passing on the exhibition

MAUS OLEUM - The exhibition for the broadcast with the mouse (1999/2000)

In 1999 a touring exhibition called MAUS OLEUM was set up for the broadcast with the mouse , which was on tour from 1998 to 2004. Among other things, you could re-enact experiments, watch films and take a look at over 30 years of “mouse” history.

Previous stations

Subsequent stations

Augsburger Puppenkiste - Mirror of the World (2001)

From April 13th to July 29th 2001 the Historical Museum of the Palatinate Speyer showed the exhibition Augsburger Puppenkiste . The exhibition of the Junge Museum Speyer presented the stars of the legendary Augsburg Puppenkiste such as Jim Knopf and Urmel from the ice . In the exhibition, visitors met the heroes of their childhood: Jim Knopf , Urmel from the ice , The Little King Kalle Wirsch , The Lion , Captain Knack , Bill Bo and his gang , the cat Mikesch and the forever singing sea ​​lion . The visitors met countless old friends and relived the television history of the Augsburger Puppenkiste. In the exhibition there was a cinema in which the most popular TV productions of the Augsburger Puppenkiste, such as Urmel from the ice, could be seen. Staging puppets in boxes, that's how the principle of the exhibition can be summed up in short words. The form of the representation was authentic, as the carpenters, decorators, plasterers and lighting technicians of the doll box designed the inner workings of the boxes. In addition to the "TV stars" of the Augsburg marionettes, there were also lesser-known but no less interesting figures from productions for adults. The exhibition also enabled visitors to take a look behind the scenes. For example, he learned how the marionettes were carved out of linden wood. The body got its mobility through eye bolts, fabric and leather connections.

Previous stations

Ice Age - Man, Mammoth and Forces of Nature (2001/2002)

The Ice Age (2.4 million years to 11,500 before today) is one of the most exciting periods in the history of the earth. Huge glaciers covered large parts of Europe during the cold ages. The development of modern humans also fell into this phase of the earth's history. Sites of Homo erectus, Neanderthals and the first modern man give evidence of how our ancestors gained a foothold in Europe and how the first cultures emerged. In the exhibition, the development of mankind from its roots in Africa to the end of the Ice Age was illustrated using selected exhibits. The tools of the first prehistoric humans were represented as well as the oldest European works of art made of ivory or bone, which were created at the end of the Ice Age. The most important Ice Age animals, such as the mammoth or the woolly rhinoceros, were presented in the exhibition not only on the basis of skeletal finds, but also as life-size, computer-controlled replicas. The Ice Age was an interactive exhibition for the whole family. The presentation appealed to all of the senses. You experienced the icy cold, explored an Ice Age picture cave in the light of a flashlight or hiked on footprints left by fleeing animals from the last Ice Age. In a field station you could do your own research and look at mammoth hair and other ice age specimens under the microscope .

Hatshepsut - Queen of Egypt (2002)

In the exhibition Hatshepsut - Queen of Egypt, the Historical Museum of the Palatinate showed one of the most important figures in the country's more than 3000-year history, the only woman on the Egyptian throne. One of the most famous temples in Egypt, the terrace sanctuary of Deir el-Bahari near Luxor , was built by her. The exhibition illustrated Hatshepsut's political aspirations as well as the high level of Egyptian art at that time. A separate area of ​​the exhibition introduced the young visitors to the mysterious world of ancient Egypt. The exhibition was created in collaboration with the Egyptian Museum and the Papyrus Collection of the State Museums in Berlin .

Model trains, teddies and dolls (2002/2003)

Impressive model trains from Märklin , magnificent dollhouses and stuffed animals from Steiff invited to be amazed and to play. This year, not only the Steiff teddy bear, but also the Märklin metal construction kit celebrated its 100th birthday. The exhibition presented various historical boxes, steam engines and historical tin toys were also shown.

Knight (2003)

The accompanying presentation of the Junge Museum Speyer expanded the exhibition Die Ritter in the Historisches Museum der Pfalz to 500 m² . The presentation for children and adolescents dealt primarily with the childhood and upbringing of future knights and ladies in the Middle Ages. Originals, reproductions and replicas showed the world of children and young people in a medieval castle. Here visitors not only learned all kinds of things about the construction of castles, but also about the everyday life of children and their upbringing to be knights or ladies. In a staged castle kitchen, a round table with dishes and food that could be found on the medieval menu could be reproduced. The visitors learned how difficult it is to spin wool or weave fabrics. True-to-original reconstructions of armor and weapons could be tried on during the tours. A large play area with numerous attractions conveyed something of the flair of medieval tournaments.

30 years of Playmobil - Discover the world (2003/2004)

The family exhibition " 30 Years of Playmobil - Discover the World " showed detailed showpieces on approx. 1600 m² of the first knights, Indians, construction workers and their friends from the following product series. For the first time, the prototypes were exhibited by Hans Beck, the inventor and developer of the Playmobil figures. Numerous play areas invited the young visitors to immerse themselves in the Playmobil world. A total of 150,000 visitors visited this exhibition.

Passing on the exhibition

ZDF tivi - Tabaluga, Löwenzahn & Co. This is how television is made (2005/2006)

“What do you know about television? Sure, everyone has a television at home. You turn it on and you have a wide choice of programs: news, films, quiz shows, video clips ... But what happens in a television studio? Who makes the programs and how do the pictures get on the television screen? ” ZDF tivi - Tabaluga, Löwenzahn & Co. This is how television is made was an exhibition that showed children how television works. By participating and playing along, they learned the tricks of television makers. At the same time, the little visitors met many friends from ZDFtivi , the ZDF children's and youth program, such as the raven Rudi , Löwenzahn , Tabaluga and Arktos or Petty PuR .

Passing on the exhibition

The pirates - rulers of the seven seas (2006/2007)

The thunder of cannons and pirate screams in the old castle. When the pirates set out on a pirate voyage, it became dangerous. Children from four to twelve years of age were able to get to know the culture and history of the rough fellows dressed as pirates up close. Digging for buried pirate treasure on a treasure island, shimmy across the wild sea at the boarding station or test the comfort of the hammocks below deck - the interactive hands-on stations let the heart of every young fur seal beat faster. Social and economic backgrounds illuminated the tough living conditions of many pirates and showed the difference between fantasy and reality.

Passing on the exhibition

Great voyage with the Vikings (2008/2009)

Around the year 1000, the Viking Leif Eriksson embarked on an adventurous and daring journey. He sailed west from Iceland with a few men and women. After many dangerous days at sea, he finally came to a coast, an island off America. The Vikings went ashore. From then on they wanted to live there. However, it was not that easy to get the things you needed to live: food, clothes and tools. There were also strangers there, Indians. Were they friendly or looking to fight? Will the Vikings survive in the new land? The Young Museum invited visitors to go on a journey of discovery with Leif Eriksson. In many interactive stations, the young visitors discovered how the brave Northmen managed to sail as far as America. A trading post by the sea showed essential items that Leif Eriksson took on board. A large Viking ship allowed the young visitors to experience up close how dangerous and difficult it was for the skillful sailors to cross.

Witches - Toad Slime and Spider Leg (2009/2010)

The Junge Museum invited visitors to take an interactive adventure course through the exhibition Witches - Toad Slime and Spider Legs to obtain the Witches Magic Diploma and at the same time to learn all kinds of things about the world of witches, sorcery and magic. In a unique hands-on exhibition aimed at families with children between the ages of four and ten, the museum presented a magical world full of secrets. Visitors big and small met a witch's house, entered a witch's kitchen, learned about the witch's language with its writing, symbols and spells and were even able to practice the art of palmistry and divination. In this interactive exhibition there was again a disguise station where the young visitors could dress up as magicians or young witches.

Drachenfels Castle - Travel to the Middle Ages (2010 to 2012)

For all children and young visitors, the medieval hands-on exhibition said: "Follow in the footsteps of emperors and kings, travel with them into the world of the Middle Ages, past stately towns and magnificent courts." -Exhibition Burg Drachenfels - Journeys into the Middle Ages , the children got to know the life and everyday life of this epoch in all its facets: On the town market square they could follow the hustle and bustle of the craftsmen and merchants. Here the little visitors could discover and try out a lot: What goods does the long-distance trader offer in his shop? Who works in the workshops? At the impressive cathedral construction site, they saw how huge walls were erected with the help of a large crane. They explored Drachenfels Castle and got to know life in a castle with a magnificent knight's hall, high tower and dark dungeon. At the foot of the castle there was the opportunity to immerse yourself in the simple life of the farmers and to learn more about the busy and hard life of families in the countryside. In contrast, things were quiet in the scriptorium of the monastery. Here you could try out the design of letters or get to know the medicinal herbs in the monastery garden. The exhibition Burg Drachenfels - Journeys in the Middle Ages provided lively insights into the life of people in the Middle Ages with elaborate play stations, many originals from the holdings of the Palatinate History Museum and didactics suitable for children.

Discover Egypt's treasures (2011/2012)

In addition to the cultural and historical exhibition, the Young Museum presented an interactive exhibition aimed primarily at the young museum audience. Originals from the Egyptian Museum in Turin, elaborate reconstructions and the use of new media didactics enabled a direct examination of the history of ancient Egypt. What was everyday life like on the Nile, what ideas did the ancient Egyptians have of life and death? The young visitors slipped into the role of researchers and Egyptologists and explored the fascinating animal world of ancient Egypt in the papyrus thicket of the Nile. Alien gods, hybrids of humans and animals and mysterious hieroglyphs waited in a reconstructed temple to be explored. In an excavation tent, visitors could take a look at the working world of archaeologists and see real animal mummies. An ancient Egyptian boat whisked the young visitors off to the most important places of worship on the Nile. A visit to a mysterious burial chamber rounded off the journey of discovery in ancient Egypt.

40 years of Playmobil - an adventure journey through time (2013/2014)

On the occasion of Playmobil's 40th birthday, the second Playmobil exhibition took place in the Historical Museum . It used various exhibits from 1974 to 2013 to show the history of Playmobil. There were also Playmobil installations by mostly adult collectors and artists, some with historical scenes such as the procession of the Legions of Publius Quinctilius Varus or the Hambach Festival and play stations, some of which were modeled on Playmobil objects. A total of 211,000 visitors visited this exhibition.

Passing on the exhibition

Because we are girls ... - girls' worlds in Africa, Asia and Latin America (2015/2016)

The interactive exhibition Because we are girls ... exemplified the life situations of three girls: Djenebou from the African Sahel ( Mali ), Asha from India and Yoselin from the Andes ( Ecuador ) invited them on a journey into their world. With films and audio clips, visitors aged eight and over were able to discover the everyday and family lives of girls. The patroness of this adventure exhibition of the children's aid organization Plan was the actress Senta Berger .

Detectives, Agents & Spies (2015/2016)

From October 2015 the Junge Museum Speyer showed the exhibition Detectives, Agents & Spies . She dedicated herself to characters from film and literature such as James Bond , Sherlock Holmes and Charlies Angels . Technical developments and current topics were also discussed.

Robin Hood (2017/2018)

The family exhibition invited young and young at heart visitors into the world of Robin Hood and his companions. Child-friendly, interactive stations deal with everyday life in the Middle Ages, life in the forest and the special art of archery. Numerous play stations address the question of which values ​​are important in life and what makes a good community.

A professional archery range in the heart of the exhibition proved to be a particular attraction for visitors. Concentration and accuracy could be practiced here.

Passing on the exhibition

Museum for Art and Cultural History Dortmund , September 1, 2019 to April 19, 2020

Sams and the heroes of children's books (2018/2019)

On the occasion of the 80th birthday of the famous German children's book author and Sam's inventor Paul Maar, the family exhibition invited all children's book heroes to the Palatinate Historical Museum. The exhibition visitors could follow in the footsteps of Pippi Longstocking and solve the letter puzzle in their kitchen or lift their horse Little Uncle, lie in the coffin in the crypt of the little vampire or listen to the splashing of the water in the reed house of the little Aquarius in the mill pond and the Watch fish. The worlds of the children's book heroes could be experienced: they could be entered, felt and heard. Around 500 exhibits - including around a hundred graphics and illustrations as well as unique original characters and props from film adaptations and puppet shows - and media in-depth stations also offered exciting information about the respective authors and their works and traced the history of children's book literature in the 20th and 21st centuries. As part of the accompanying program, numerous readings and other events such as an Instawalk, a talk and puppet theater performances were offered.

The Gruffalo - The Exhibition (2019/2020)

Since December 22, 2019, the Junge Museum has been showing a family exhibition dedicated to the work of Axel Scheffler and his most famous figure, the Gruffalo .

architecture

Building complex

The museum building is a compact building in downtown Speyer, close to the Kaiserdom . It was created according to plans and under the direction of the architect Gabriel von Seidl and was opened in 1910. In 1990 the exhibition area was enlarged by an extension. Large parts of the collections are stored in a depot, the Old Cotton Spinning Collection Center , which also houses the restoration workshops. The corner building is made of red sandstone and crowned by two turrets. The facades on both sides are plastered white, the windows framed with red gemstones.

Forum

Covered courtyard, called the forum

Since the end of 2003, the Palatinate Historical Museum has had the 650 m² covered inner courtyard of the four-winged building, the “forum” as a place of communication. Since then, events such as concerts, panel discussions, lectures, readings, film and theater performances as well as workshops have taken place there. The glass construction, which spans the forum at a height of 17 meters, is an architectural specialty with an area of ​​825 m².

literature

  • Meinrad Maria Grewenig (ed.): The modern times. Speyer, Palatinate History Museum. Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern 1995, ISBN 978-3-7757-0608-7 .
  • Sabine Kaufmann: Imperial Cathedral and Cathedral Treasure. (Catalog on the occasion of the new presentation of the Cathedral Treasury in the Historisches Museum der Pfalz). Verlag Philipp von Zabern, Mainz 2001, ISBN 978-3-8053-2792-3 .
  • Ludger Tekampe: Wine Museum. Speyer, Palatinate History Museum. Hatje Cantz Verlag, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 978-3-7757-0484-7 .

Web links

Commons : Historisches Museum der Pfalz  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Rhein-Zeitung : Historical Museum of the Palatinate has a new boss. August 2, 2011, accessed October 31, 2011 .
  2. ↑ Mannheimer Morgen, edition of July 1, 2014, page 22
  3. ^ Holger Mehlig: Director of the German Historical Museum said goodbye with a ceremony. March 15, 2011, archived from the original on February 10, 2013 ; Retrieved October 31, 2011 .
  4. ↑ rlp.de: Eckart Köhne becomes director of the Palatinate History Museum. August 3, 2011, archived from the original on December 9, 2014 ; Retrieved October 31, 2011 .
  5. ↑ Mannheimer Morgen, edition of July 1, 2014, page 22.
  6. ↑ Historical Museum of the Palatinate. Kulturland Rheinland-Pfalz, accessed on May 15, 2017 .
  7. ↑ SWR Fernsehen SWR Landesschau aktuell Rheinland-Pfalz from April 9, 2014: Speyer - New Director at the Historisches Museum der Pfalz , accessed on April 14, 2014.
  8. ↑ a b c Annual Report 2005–2007 ( Memento from July 12, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  9. ↑ a b Annual Report 2008–2009 ( Memento from July 12, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  10. ↑ a b c d Historical Museum Annual report with numbers. Retrieved August 20, 2019 .
  11. ^ Speyer Cathedral (Germany) on stauferstelen.net. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  12. ^ Andreas Förster: Thieves in East and West . In: Berliner Zeitung , July 26, 2019, p. 3.
  13. ^ Secret Witches Exhibition . Retrieved August 15, 2019 .
  14. ↑ 1914-1918. The Palatinate in the First World War ( Memento from December 30, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  15. ↑ Medicus - The power of knowledge. Retrieved August 19, 2019 .
  16. ↑ http://www.kunst-und-kultur.de/index.php?Action=searchMuseumExhibition&st=2019&sort=t&city=Troisdorf
  17. ↑ http://www.historisches-centrum.de/index.php?id=168
  18. ↑ http://www.kunst-und-kultur.de/index.php?Action=showMuseumExhibition&aId=4386
  19. ↑ http://www.kunst-und-kultur.de/index.php?Action=showMuseumExhibition&aId=11618
  20. ↑ About us. Historical Museum of the Palatinate, accessed on July 31, 2019 .

Coordinates: 49 ° 18 ′ 57 ″  N , 8 ° 26 ′ 29 ″  E