When can the exhibition be seen?

The dates in the event entry start on June 30, 2026, and run until July 28, 2026, each day from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

How much is the admission fee?

The exhibition is indicated as having free admission.

Where is the exhibition taking place?

At the Braunschweig City Museum, House on Löwenwall, Steintorwall 14, 38100 Braunschweig.

Is the museum accessible for everyone?

Yes, the House on Löwenwall is reported to be fully accessible.

Are there guided tours or educational offerings?

Yes, the museum offers guided tours and other communication formats. Current dates will be published on the museum's website.

Is there an official Instagram channel?

Yes, the Braunschweig City Museum is officially present on Instagram.

Braunschweig Shows Colonial Traces in the Museum: An Exhibition That Allows for a New Reading of Objects

Name: In the Beginning Was the Belt - Braunschweig Ethnographica, Souvenirs & Colonial Trophies
Start: 2026-06-30T12:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-07-28T19:00:00+02:00
Location: Städtisches Museum Braunschweig

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

With In the Beginning Was the Belt, the Braunschweig City Museum opens a thoughtful, compelling view of ethnographic objects, souvenirs, and colonial trophies. The new permanent exhibition on the ethnological collection emphasizes transparency, provenance research, and a critical engagement with the historical conditions of collecting. It focuses on an object that is no longer just a collection piece: a testimony to ownership, interpretation, and entanglement history. The exhibition can be seen at the House on Löwenwall and has been announced by the museum itself as part of its ongoing work on colonial contexts. ([braunschweig.de](https://www.braunschweig.de/kultur/museen/staedtisches-museum/artikelpool-temporaer/ethno-dauerausstellung.php?utm_source=openai))

Ethnographica as a Mirror of Global Entanglements

The presentation classifies the ethnographic collections not as exotic footnotes but as historical sources. Braunschweig sailors, merchants, doctors, soldiers, researchers, and emigrants have collected objects over a long time; therein lies the tension between local city history and the global circulation of things. The museum explicitly emphasizes the critical analysis of colonial references in its collections. ([braunschweig.de](https://www.braunschweig.de/kultur/museen/staedtisches-museum/artikelpool-temporaer/ethno-dauerausstellung.php?utm_source=openai))

Provenance Research as an Aesthetic and Political Experience

A particular reference point is the patron belt of the OvaMbanderu leader Kahimemua from present-day Namibia, whose story is described in the museum as a milestone in research and public communication. This work and object consideration makes visible how closely aesthetics, power, and memory are intertwined. For visitors, an exhibition experience is created that not only informs but sharpens questions about origin, loss, and responsibility. ([braunschweig.de](https://www.braunschweig.de/kultur/museen/staedtisches-museum/artikelpool-temporaer/ethno-dauerausstellung.php?utm_source=openai))

A Museum with a Strong Collection and Communication

The Braunschweig City Museum is one of the largest art and cultural history museums in Germany, preserving over 270,000 objects related to city and cultural history. In addition to the permanent exhibition and changing special exhibitions, the museum offers guided tours and educational formats that deepen access to the collection, context, and historical classification. The House on Löwenwall is also accessible for people with disabilities. ([braunschweig.de](https://www.braunschweig.de/tourismus/kultur/museen.php?utm_source=openai))

What Visitors Can Expect Now

In the Beginning Was the Belt connects cultural historical research with a focused exhibition atmosphere. Those interested in museum education, provenance issues, colonial history, and ethnological collections will find a precisely curated place for reflection. A visit is worthwhile for all who wish to experience art and cultural history not as a rigid archive, but as a living discourse. An exhibition visit in Braunschweig promises insight, friction, and a sustainable aesthetic experience. ([braunschweig.de](https://www.braunschweig.de/kultur/museen/staedtisches-museum/artikelpool-temporaer/ethno-dauerausstellung.php?utm_source=openai))