Agenda

The four chapters of the exhibition highlight the central challenges in politics and society that contemporaries of the Weimar Republic faced. The focus lies not on the downfall of the Weimar Republic but on how citizens dealt with the controversial question of what democracy is and should be, and how the decisive principles of democracy evolved.

The energy and modernity with which democrats addressed these problems are impressive and visionary. Many freedoms and creative latitudes they fought for and defended are milestones and have lost none of their actuality: women’s suffrage established in 1919, compromise as a fundamental principle of democracy, and the implementation of the social state. Democracy, so far, constitutes the best form of government. The exhibition is based on this principle.

The Victor Hugo House and the Musée du Temps present an exhibition dedicated to Victor Hugo (1802-1885) and his commitment to preserving cultural heritage. He wrote a pamphlet about this in 1832.

Interest in the Middle Ages and its heritage was born in France at the beginning of the nineteenth century, during the Romantic Period. Medieval monuments were previously seen primarily as remains of a barbaric era, good as building material for new projects. Victor Hugo was one of the first advocates for the preservation of this heritage, and he declared war on the destroyers, a still topical theme.

Europe is a maritime continent in geographical terms. Taking the length of the coastline relative to the total land area, Europe has more contact with the sea than any of the other continents. Nevertheless, the sea can seem very remote to people living in central and eastern Europe. In many countries, the sea is part of people’s daily reality only when they go there on holiday, or if they live on the coast.

The exhibition reveals just how fundamentally the sea has shaped the development of Europe, exploring the roles it has played and continues to play. The exhibition covers the centuries from the Age of Antiquity to the present. It examines the sea’s significance as a facilitator of European wars, expansionism, and trade, as a bridge and barrier, as a resource, and as a focus of yearning and imagination. In addition to the historical dimension, it casts a spotlight on many aspects that are of great importance today: the role of the sea as a bridge and barrier to the continent has acquired new relevance, environmental concerns, climate-related issues, and the use or overuse of marine resources are also subjects of growing public debate.

The small town of Kirchheim unter Teck in Baden-Württemberg presents an overview of recent archaeological finds from the Stone Age. The village probably counted around 100 people and about 20 clay huts. The most remarkable find is the golden hoard from a woman’s grave, highlighting the region’s (economic) relevance.