Inherited. Purchased. Stolen? Everyday Objects and their Nazi Past
The Historisches Museum Frankfurt presented the results of its provenance research on the painting and silver collection and traced the unlawful acquisition of objects under National Socialism.
From May 17 to October 14, 2018, the Historisches Museum Frankfurt am Main presented the results of its provenance research on the painting and silver collection. The exhibition used historical sources to trace the unlawful acquisition of objects by Frankfurt museums under National Socialism.
Research. Understanding. Tell.
I created an exhibition script, selected objects, researched images and sources, requested image rights and developed generally understandable exhibition texts based on my research. On behalf of the museum, I also researched six Frankfurt families who were disenfranchised, dispossessed and persecuted under National Socialism because they were Jewish. In the post-war period, they fought to receive compensation and have their property restituted. To this end, I researched the Hessian Main State Archives in Wiesbaden, the Frankfurt Institute for City History and the Berlin State Archives. The results were presented in the exhibition in the form of biographical dossiers.
City Lab
On the occasion of the exhibition, the Stadtlabor of the Historisches Museum Frankfurt offered a workshop for Frankfurt citizens. Participants brought along objects of which it was unclear whether they had been acquired legally or illegally during the Nazi era. In one case, the aim was to research the history of a residential building and its residents. As an expert, I supported the participants in their archive research and helped them to transcribe and analyze documents from the National Socialist era.
In the booklet accompanying the exhibition, I reported together with Johannes Beermann on the work process that the participants in the urban laboratory project went through. The participants presented the objects they had brought with them and explained what makes them “difficult things”. Expectations and fears - especially with regard to what the research might bring to light - were also discussed. The work process and the participants’ research results were recorded in the form of animated films.