Objects at East Frisian Museums

Karte von Tsingtau, 1905, Verleger John Bartholomew (Edinburgh).
Map of Tsingtau, 1905, Publisher John Bartholomew (Edinburgh). https://www.europeana.eu/de/item/9200517/ark__12148_btv1b525089316
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Provenance Research

On Objects from the former German colony in China in four Museums in East Frisia

Commissioned by the Ostfriesische Landschaft – Regional Association for Culture, Science and Education


East Frisia’s location by the sea, the associated seafaring, trade, and navy explain why objects from colonial contexts can be found in the region’s collections. Particularly significant are objects from China and especially from the former German colony of Jiaozhou (Kiautschou) with its capital Qingdao (Tsingtau).

The multi-perspective study researched the provenance of over 600 objects from the collections of four museums in the region of East Frisia: the Deutsches Sielhafenmuseum Carolinensiel (German Sluice Port Museum), the Naturforschende Gesellschaft zu Emden (Association of Naturalists), the East Frisian Tea Museum Norden and the Fehn- und Schiffahrtmuseum Westrhauderfehn (Fen and Navy Museum).

The aim was to reconstruct the colonial contexts of the objects, which have so far mainly been classified as “seafarers’ souvenirs”, and to investigate problematic contexts of appropriation.

In collaboration with Chinese scholars, research was conducted at Chinese and German archives. The results of the project was presented to the public at a concluding workshop, and relevant holdings will be published digitally online on the cultural heritage portal and on the “PAESE” database.

The project was funded by the German Lost Art Foundation.

 

THE PROJECT IN THE MEDIA

FRANKFURTER RUNDSCHAU 2.3.2021

Andreas Förster: Museen & Herkunft von Objekten: Der neue Blick auf alte „Seemannsmitbringsel“

THE PROJECT IN THE MEDIA

TV NDR Kulturjournal, 2022 April, 11

“Raubgut oder Mitbringsel? Museen in Ostfriesland erforschen ihren Bestand”

PUBLICATION

ARTICLE IN “EMDER JAHRBUCH 2022”

Emder Jahrbuch für historische Landeskunde Ostfrieslands Band 102 (2022)
ISSN:1434-4351

ONLINE PUBLICATION OF THE CLOSING EVENT

Andratschke, Claudia und Jachens, Maik (Hrsg.): Sammlungsgut aus kolonialen Kontexten (China): In vier ostfriesischen Museen und Kultureinrichtungen, Heidelberg: arthistoricum.net, 2023 (Veröffentlichungen des Netzwerks Provenienzforschung in Niedersachsen, Band 4). https://doi.org/10.11588/arthistoricum.1017

Contact

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Beate Schreiber
FaCTS & FILES
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