Göttingen kolonial. 1870 – 1945

In the organizer's words:

It is now well known that Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen had a colonial past. But colonies also played an important role in Göttingen, at least from the beginning of German colonial rule in the German Empire and right up to the National Socialist era. Colonial associations campaigned for the establishment and restoration of German colonial rule, while a missionary association collected donations to support the supposed "civilization" of the colonized populations, who were often portrayed as underage children. Colonial goods stores traded in products from the colonies and soldiers from Göttingen fought in colonial wars.

Lectures on racial theories were held at the University of Göttingen and research was carried out to solve the colonial labor question. Ethnographic objects, plants and even human remains from the colonized territories found their way into the university collections in Göttingen.

These diverse connections to colonialism and the significance of colonial revisionism for Göttingen were researched by 16 students in the summer semester 2024 under the direction of Dr. Karolin Wetjen and Charlotte Prauß as part of a project seminar in Modern History. In close cooperation between the university and the museum, this has resulted in an exhibition that will be on display at the Göttingen Municipal Museum from September 22 to January 26, 2025. The exhibition uses selected biographies of Göttingen citizens from the period between 1870 and 1945 to shed light on the role colonialism played in the city's everyday life, how citizens participated in colonial rule and the continuities that still exist today.

Please note:

Due to the great interest in the exhibition, it will be extended and will now be shown until February 23, 2025. The Städtisches Museum would like to thank all our lenders who have made this possible.
Free admission to the exhibition continues.

Attractive events will also be offered as part of the supporting program during the extension period.