Is admission to the exhibition free?

Yes, the exhibition is accessible free of charge according to the available information.

Where is the exhibition taking place?

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

Is the museum barrier-free?

Yes, the City Museum Braunschweig is fully accessible.

Are there guided tours or educational offerings?

Yes, the museum offers public and bookable guided tours as well as audio tours.

What is the focus of the exhibition?

The exhibition focuses on ethnological collections, colonial contexts, questions of provenance, and collaboration with origin communities.

Can the museum be reached by public transport?

Yes, the house on Löwenwall is centrally located in Braunschweig and is well integrated into the urban cultural landscape. More detailed travel information will be provided if needed.

Braunschweig's Colonial Collections Reinterpreted at the City Museum

Name: In the Beginning Was the Belt - Braunschweig Ethnographica, Souvenirs & Colonial Trophies
Start: 2026-08-03T02:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-08-04T01:59:59+02:00
Location: Städtisches Museum Braunschweig

A museum experience about origin, memory, and colonial traces

With In the Beginning Was the Belt, the City Museum Braunschweig presents an ethnological permanent exhibition that understands collections not as a rigid display of showcases, but as a vibrant space for thought. In the house on Löwenwall, visitors encounter objects, stories, and perspectives that make the origins of museum collections, colonial contexts, and the responsibility of contemporary curation visible.

Between Provenance Research and the Present

The exhibition begins with an intensive engagement with collections from colonial contexts. At the center is the critical question of how objects came to Braunschweig, what power relations are associated with them, and why provenance research is now a core task of ethnological museums. The result is an artistic experience with historical significance: not instructive, but precise, open, and dialogical.

Five Thematic Rooms, Many Perspectives

The presentation is divided into five thematic rooms: Connected, Travel Mementos, Images of the Other, Colonial Heritage, and Further Reflections. This structure opens a nuanced examination between ethnological collections, cabinet of curiosities tradition, and postcolonial reflection. Particularly impressive is the diversity of exhibits: from historical travel objects to ethnographic pieces to objects that raise questions about memory, ownership, and cultural interpretation.

A Space for Aesthetic Experience and Critical Education

The exhibition combines museum education with a clear curatorial stance. It shows that cultural education in museums today also means questioning historical images of the other and involving origin communities in dialogue. Those who engage with this exhibition atmosphere experience not only art and cultural history but also a precise view of the future of museums as learning, responsible places.

Why a Visit is Worthwhile

In the Beginning Was the Belt makes visible how closely ethnology, collection history, and colonial memory are intertwined. Visitors can expect an exhibition that stimulates reflection through light, space, and object presentation while also setting a strong signal for transparency and cultural responsibility. A visit to the City Museum Braunschweig is definitely worthwhile for anyone who wants to experience museum work as a lively engagement with the present.