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An ethnographic exploration of the collections of everyday material culture at the Museum Europäischer Kulturen

The Museum of European Cultures (MEK) in Berlin has inherited a wide range of collections accumulated during its tumultuous history. Whilst some objects from the historical collections have become part of contemporary curatorial research, extensive collections of everyday objects, formed over the course of twentieth century, remain largely unstudied. Focusing on the textile collections, this project will use inter-disciplinary, ethnographic methods to reveal their changing meanings and significance today.

The key questions are:

  • How was everyday life assembled in the MEK through history?
  • How did the role of the objects change over time, in terms of curatorial frameworks and exhibition making practices?
  • What is the significance of these objects today?

Project responsibility: Dr. Magdalena Buchczyk
Project funding: Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Project partners: Centre for Anthropological Research on Museums and Heritage (CARMaH) at Humboldt University Berlin
Project duration: 2019 to 2021