circles as a symbol of salvation and recognition, even as a substitute
for the forbidden swastika. Here, too, the presumed aura of a supposed
cult space had to be eliminated. The exhibition concept is based on the
theory that the historical awareness of today’s generations of visitors
to museums is influenced by the social upheavals and processes of
our contemporary globalised world. In more and more areas of life,
modern individuals must decide for themselves how they wish to shape
their existences and how they desire to confront society and history.
The exhibition therefore strives for an open presentation of historical
developments and universal values, such as self-determination and
human rights, and encourages visitors towards self-reflection. The
focus is no longer on a historical narrative but on the micro level, on
the diversity of experiences and personal perspectives. This approach
attempts to emphasise the fragmentary nature of historical tradition.
One principle of the exhibition is multiperspectivity, and this can be
particularly experienced in the exhibition’s biographical material. Whilst
the biographies of members of the SS are presented at the beginning of
the exhibition tour, former concentration camp inmates subsequently
become the focus of the exhibition. At the same time, the subjective
perceptions of the village population of Wewelsburg are documented;
it becomes clear that the story is composed of narratives remembered
and experienced in different ways. The display exponents and drawer
cabinets themselves are also multifunctional: they function as carriers
of the exhibition texts and the photo and document reproductions as
well as places of storage for the original objects and documents. The
exhibits in the first exhibition space are arranged in strict formation but
are presented in the following rooms according to a modular principle
and their specific themes. The network of information does not provide
a complete picture of history but encourages visitors to interpret the
story themselves.
86
Observing Memories
ISSUE 2
“A special feature of this exhibition is the
museum concept of largely dispensing with
reconstructions and presenting original objects”
| Picture: M. Groppe, 2010, Kreismuseum
Wewelsburg