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| Exhibition Archive: | 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 | ||
| 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 | |||
| Special Exhibitions 2013 | |||
 From the 31st of March to the 25th of June 2013 (daily from 10:00 to 18:00)"Zoppot, Cranz, Riga Beach - Baltic Sea Baths during the 19th and 20th Century" An exhibition by the Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe in collaboration with the German Cultural Forum for Eastern Europe in Potsdam and the Chair for the History of Eastern Europe at the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder). Sponsored by the M.C.A Böckler - Mare Balticum Foundation and presented by the German Cultural Forum for Eastern Europe The year 1989 and the political upheavals that came with it did not leave the beaches and the baths of the Baltic Sea untouched. Gradually the Baltic Sea region is coming together again in the heads of the people who inhabit the region. The cultural connectivity of the Baltic Sea region is mirrored in the architectural urban landscape of the former Hansa cities. However, the “world” of the Baltic Sea baths has a common history, a history that is even older than the division of Europe. The oldest European sea baths emerged during the beginning of the 18th century in England, specifically in Brighton and Scarborough which were also visited by Germans. The English sea baths would serve as an impulse to initiate the emergence of a sea bath culture at the Baltic Coast. The first sea bath of the Baltic Sea was built in 1793 at the Mecklenburg coast: “Heilige Damm bey Dobberan”. The further development of sea baths and the emergence of a unique bath culture will be shown in the exhibition “Zoppot- Cranz- Riga Beach” accompanied by pictures.
The division of Europe after 1945 lead to a massive militarization of the whole Baltic Sea region and changed the appearances and identity of various Baltic Sea Baths. The state lead mass tourism would leave an impact on the whole Baltic Sea region. What was once known as a health resort for the elite would become a leisure resort for the working class. Since 1989 a renovation and resurgence of the former Bath Culture such as the reconstruction of white villas and sea bridges would contribute to reviving the charm of the “good ol’ times”. The accompanying interest for the collective history of the Baltic Sea region is carried by the presentation “Zoppot- Cranz- Riga beach”. |
From the 29th of March to the 20th of May 2013 (daily from 10:00 to 18:00)"The Face of the Ghetto. Pictures by Jewish Photographers from the Ghetto Litzmannstadt 1940 - 1944"
An exhibition by the foundation "Topography of Terror", Berlin
The exhibition "The Face of the Ghetto" presents pictures by Jewish photographer from the ghetto Litzmannstadt between 1940 and 1944. It focuses on the theme terror and crimes by the Nazi regime as well as the fate of the victims of these crimes. The ambivalence between the hopeless situation in the ghetto and the efforts of its inhabitants to live as long as possible with dignity is captured through the empathy of the Jewish photographer for its inhabitants.
The exhibition reveals for the first time to the public an almost unknown picture inventory about a dramatic stage during the persecution of Jews in the ghetto Litzmannstadt, formerly known by the name Lodz but renamed in 1940 by the German occupiers. The exhibition is complimented by testimonies by former ghetto inhabitants which are documented in the ghetto chronicle. A short summary of the history of the ghetto, a characterization of the photography as a historical source is also integrated into the exhibition.
The exhibition reminds us of the suffering inflicted upon the Jewish population of Europe and shows the observer what the ostracizing of minority groups can lead to in extreme cases. With this the exhibition wants to expose and remind us that the ideology that was propagated by Hitler’s Germany was fixated towards the death of millions of people.