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Muslim Visibility in the Museum

Traces of European Muslims in the MEK Collection

The topic of ‘Islam in Europe’ continues to be socio-politically relevant and controversial. The collection of the Museum of European Cultures (Museum Europäischer Kulturen, in short: MEK) contains hundreds of artefacts relating to the everyday religious and cultural practices of Muslims in Europe. Very few of them have been researched and exhibited to date. Based on this current situation, the project explores the topic of ‘Muslims in Europe’ in the MEK's collection: objects relating to Muslim everyday lives are rediscovered in the depots, selected items are researched in greater depth, and objects and research results are made publicly visible. The project scrutinises the idea of Muslims as ‘non-European others’.

The MEK’s collection holds objects that tell us something about Muslim life in Europe, which come from different regions and times. Historical objects, dating back to the end of the 19th to the early- to mid-20th century, were predominantly collected in south-eastern Europe (especially in present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina), in the Caucasus region and in Crimea. The contemporary objects were often acquired in central Europe, such as in Berlin.

The project opens up this very diverse part of the collection: historical objects in particular are to be rediscovered in the depots, some of which will be further researched and exhibited. A larger selection is made available to the wider public as part of an online presentation. The focus is on cultural artefacts that are significant for religious practices. This limits the field of research and avoids the interpretation of non-religious everyday practices of Muslims as Islamic and therefore religious. This is done in the knowledge that the lives of Muslims are characterised by more than religious everyday practices, that not all Muslims practise their faith and that some people who are perceived as Muslim do not identify as such.

Questions to Ask the Collection

Two questions are dealt with in depth as part of the project work. The first questions allow for a detailed examination of some examples of collecting activities: in what intellectual, ideological and political context did the collectors of the artefacts operate? Under which assumptions, based on which impression of what ‘images of Islam’ did they collect?

The second question ties in with this and looks more closely at the objects that are part of the MEK’s collection today. It asks: which images and ideas of (European) Muslims are served or questioned? This is also about identifying gaps and figuring out what is missing. What knowledge, perspectives and experiences have not yet been preserved?

Based on the results of the project, a future collection strategy for the MEK to preserve ‘Muslim Life in Europe’ will be developed together with Muslim stakeholders.

Visibility

As a temporary intervention in the general collection presentation of the MEK, the installation Muslim InVisibilities shows objects that are being rediscovered and researched as part of the project from 8 August 2024 - 13 April 2025. It also provides an insight into the project. Parallel to the work with the collection, the installation will change twice to make other objects and themes visible. Through events, the public is invited to enter into dialogue. In addition, a free educational programme for school classes will be on offer.

The main results of the project will be made available to interested members of the public in the form of open access articles. This also includes the online presentation Traces of European Muslims. Here, further objects are shown that tell stories about the everyday religious practices of Muslims in Europe.


Institution: Museum Europäischer Kulturen - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Project management: Elisabeth Tietmeyer (Museum Europäischer Kulturen)
Researcher: Nushin Atmaca (Museum Europäischer Kulturen)
Funding: Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media
Project duration: December 2023 to April 2025