Name: In the Beginning Was the Belt - Braunschweig Ethnographic Artifacts, Souvenirs & Colonial Trophies
Start: 2026-08-04T12:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-12-30T18:00:00+01:00
Location: Städtisches Museum Braunschweig

An exhibition about origin, memory, and the power of objects

At the Municipal Museum Braunschweig, In the Beginning Was the Belt unfolds an exhibition that does not treat ethnographic artifacts, souvenirs, and colonial trophies as silent objects, but as testimonies of history, possession, perspective, and interpretation. The new permanent exhibition in the House at Löwenwall opens an art experience that goes far beyond mere viewing: it combines the examination of works, provenance questions, and cultural education into a dense, reflective exhibition atmosphere. ([braunschweig.de](https://www.braunschweig.de/kultur/museen/staedtisches-museum/artikelpool-temporaer/ethno-dauerausstellung.php?utm_source=openai))

Rethinking Colonial History in the Museum

The central starting point is the critical examination of collection holdings from colonial contexts. The museum emphasizes that it has been working intensively for several years on the origin, transparency, and provenance of such objects. The famous cartridge belt of the OvaMbanderu leader Kahimemua from present-day Namibia is a milestone in this research and communication. Thus, the collection is not narrowly confined by museum standards but is historically expanded and ethically questioned. ([braunschweig.de](https://www.braunschweig.de/kultur/museen/staedtisches-museum/artikelpool-temporaer/ethno-dauerausstellung.php?utm_source=openai))

Between Braunschweig, World Journey, and Collection History

Particularly impressive is the view of the emergence of the collection itself: it did not arise in a single historical moment but over long periods through Braunschweig seafarers, merchants, doctors, soldiers, researchers, early tourists, and emigrants. This creates a multifaceted panorama of appropriation, knowledge production, and cultural-historical narrative. The exhibition shows how museum objects carry both aesthetic presence and political significance. ([braunschweig.de](https://www.braunschweig.de/kultur/museen/staedtisches-museum/artikelpool-temporaer/ethno-dauerausstellung.php?utm_source=openai))

Space, Light, and Museum Precision

In the House at Löwenwall, visitors encounter a presentation that brings together ethnological collection, art and cultural-historical perspectives, and contemporary reflection. The Municipal Museum describes the House at Löwenwall as a place where, alongside the permanent exhibition, exhibitions of international significance are also shown. The staging thus relies on that quiet tension that distinguishes good museums: concentrated objects, clear readability, thoughtful spatial effect. ([braunschweig.de](https://www.braunschweig.de/kultur/museen/staedtisches-museum/?utm_source=openai))

Education, Guided Tours, and Cultural Learning

The house includes public and bookable guided tours as well as offerings for children, families, and school classes. An audio guide for children shows that the museum understands mediation as a lively part of the visit. Those who engage with the exhibition experience not only exhibits but also educational precision and a historical narrative that provokes further thought. ([braunschweig.de](https://www.braunschweig.de/kultur/museen/staedtisches-museum/kontakt.php))

Visiting Braunschweig

The exhibition is a free permanent exhibition at the Municipal Museum Braunschweig and is aimed at all who want to rediscover art history, ethnology, and memory culture in the museum. Opening hours and offerings make the visit well-planned, with the location at Steintorwall being central and culturally historically well embedded. Those who want to understand Braunschweig's museum landscape will find a particularly enlightening place here. ([braunschweig.die-region.de](https://braunschweig.die-region.de/veranstaltungen-detailseite/event/101140961/am-anfang-war-der-gurt-braunschweiger-ethnographica-souvenirs-koloniale-trophaeen/))

Conclusion: In the Beginning Was the Belt is an exhibition for all who want to experience the museum not as a storage place, but as a space for thought. It connects objects, history, and the present into an experience that is both sensory and critically aesthetic. A visit is definitely worthwhile live, as the depth of this exhibition can only be fully revealed in the space itself. ([braunschweig.de](https://www.braunschweig.de/kultur/museen/staedtisches-museum/artikelpool-temporaer/ethno-dauerausstellung.php?utm_source=openai))