"Zachowane drogostki - Preserved Treasures"

"Zachowane drogostki - Preserved Treasures"

Exhibition of the Wendish Museum in the Cottbus City Museum

Although the Wendish Museum in Mühlenstraße is undergoing major renovation and refurbishment, it remains present to the public with the special exhibition "Zachowane drogostki - Preserved Treasures".

Experience the diversity of Lower Lusatian traditional costumes, customs and way of life, Wendish music, literature and art.

The visitor encounters colourful festive costumes, simple mourning costumes and simple working costumes from the region around Cottbus in the original, in paintings and photos. They are evidence that the Sorbs/Wends formed the majority of the population in the Cottbus region until the end of the Second World War.

Historical photos in the original and in large format impressively illustrate how people went to school, cultivated customs and managed everyday life here around a hundred years ago.

The New Testament by Johann Gottlieb Fabricius, printed in 1709 in the Lower Sorbian-Wendish language, is particularly rich in history. It takes the visitor to the village of Kahren/Kórjeń, today a district of Cottbus/Chóśebuz. The first printing house in the district was established here in 1706; it was Wendish. The first Wendish books printed in Kahren helped decide the further development of the Lower Sorbian written language in Lower Lusatia.

In addition to religious literature, the exhibition provides insights into linguistics, fiction and media. Historical musical instruments and the corresponding literature as well as sound recordings are evidence of professional and folk-art Sorbian/Wendish music and stage culture.

Contrary to the frequently held opinion that Sorbian/Wendish culture is exhausted in rural lifestyle and folk art, the exhibition shows outstanding works of Sorbian visual art. Works by Adolf Burger, Philipp Franck, Ludvík Kuba, Friedrich Lattke, Conrad Felixmüller, Fritz and Paul During, Alfred Janigk, Friedrich Kittler and Marion Quitz are among those on display. Among the rarely exhibited works of art is the unique glass painting "Mlokowy zmij/Der Milchdrache" by Richard Wilhelm. Incidentally, the glass artist R. Wilhelm is also the creator of the glass flower that once adorned the Palace of the Republic in Berlin.

Events and educational programmes are offered during the exhibition period.

 Already planned are:

Serbske blido 11.01.2017, 6 pm
Topic: How cool is Lower Sorbian for young people?
Guests: Young people from Cottbus-Sielow, including Elias Bisse and Thomas Doeding

Curator's tour 08.02.2017, 5 pm
Guided tour through the exhibition "Zachowane drogostki - Preserved Treasures".
with curator Werner Meschkank

Lecture 01.03.2017, 7 pm
Werner Meschkank: Prince Pückler and the Sorbs - Wjerch Pückler a Serby
Event of the Wendish Museum and the School for Lower Sorbian Language and Culture in Lower Sorbian/Wendish language
 
Serbske blido 08.03.2017, 6 pm
Topic: Women MAKE fair chances
Guests: Marja Elikowski-Winkler and Ute Hentschel
Event as part of the 27th Brandenburg Women's Week in Cottbus.

Serbske blido 05.04.2017, 6 pm
Topic: Serbski sejm - For a Sorbian Representation of the People
Guests: Dr. Měrćin Wałda, Bautzen and other representatives

Further information and dates will be published in good time in the press and on the new website of the Wendish Museum, www.wendisches-museum.de, announced.

Special exhibition "Zachowane drogostki - Preserved Treasures".
at the Cottbus City Museum, Bahnhofstraße 22.

Opening hours:

01.05. - 30.09. (summer)
Tuesday to Friday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday/holidays 13:00 h to 18:00 h

01.10. - 30.04. (Winter)
Tuesday to Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday/holidays 13:00 hrs to 17:00 hrs