Commemorative Open Day: No Admission Fee at the Bremer Oversee Museum
Article Title: Discover the Historical Narrative Hidden in the Sandstone Reliefs of Bremen's Übersee-Museum
The Übersee-Museum Bremen, a treasure trove of global cultures, trade, and exploration, is a must-visit for history enthusiasts. The museum's exterior is adorned with sandstone reliefs, a visual representation of its focus, which depict a variety of motifs, including animals like llamas, lions, and bears.
These intricate reliefs hold significant historical and artistic value. Created during the early 20th century, they reflect Germany's engagement with overseas exploration and colonial ambitions during that period. They symbolize the museum's mission to collect and present artifacts from non-European cultures, illustrating relationships between Europe and other parts of the world, especially during the era of globalization and colonialism.
The reliefs typically depict scenes related to colonial trade, maritime exploration, and ethnographic motifs reflecting the regions represented within the museum’s collections. Maritime trade and navigation, showcasing ships, sailors, and port scenes, are common themes. Ethnographic representations of peoples from Africa, Asia, and the Americas, often idealized or romanticized in ways typical of colonial-era art, are also prevalent.
Natural products and goods traded globally, such as spices, metals, and tropical plants, are depicted, as well as interaction between cultures, sometimes emphasizing knowledge transfer, curiosity, or the dynamics of colonial power.
On September 8th, the museum will open its doors from 10 am to 5 pm, offering free admission on the opening day. Visitors are encouraged to join an outdoor guided tour titled "Scenes from Overseas: Sandstone Reliefs on the Exterior of the Museum". The tour, starting at 11 am, will take participants on a journey back in time to the museum's construction around 1900.
The tour will illustrate the connection between German colonialism and the sometimes stereotypical and racist representations on the reliefs. To better observe the details of the sandstone reliefs, visitors are advised to bring binoculars.
The reliefs also feature portraits of significant explorers and researchers such as Alexander von Humboldt, Charles Darwin, and Christopher Columbus. This tour promises to be an enlightening experience, offering insights into the museum's history and the societal values of the time when it was founded. Don't miss out on this opportunity to delve into the past and appreciate the artistic and historical significance of the sandstone reliefs at the Übersee-Museum Bremen.
Despite the museum's primary focus on global histories, trade, and exploration, an interesting element of its exterior design is the inclusion of lifestyle scenes that echo the home-and-garden concept. Some sandstone reliefs depict scenes of outdoor-living, such as leisurely activities in gardens, suggesting the fusion of European and non-European cultures.
This convergence is further emphasized through the inclusion of intricate lifestyle details in the sandstone reliefs,reflecting the museum's aim to encapsulate the essence of various cultures it represents, thereby presenting a holistic narrative of the colonial era.
