Special exhibition at Forum Wissen Göttingen on the subject of provenance
From 11 December to 17 May 2026 | Special exhibition area in the Forum Wissen
Where do objects come from which are displayed in museums? Who did they belong to in the first place? How did they enter the museum? The exhibition deals with issue of “provenance research” also known as “origin research” – meaning the study of an object’s history and ownership from its creation to understand its origin, verify its authenticity and question its legal and ethical acquisition.
Books, clothes pegs, a coat hanger are – at first glance – just everyday objects. However, each has its own emotional journey and particular meaning. In Nazi Germany, many objects were unlawfully confiscated from their original owners, simply because the owners were Jewish, members of unions, Freemasons or working as forced labour. Some objects entered museum collections as so-called “enemy material”, others arrived via auctions or bequests.
In addition, human remains were taken from the former German colonies, as well as objects from different ethnic communities, and brought back by animal trappers who were part of the animal trade in Southern Lower Saxony well into the 20th century. Many of these entered museums unlawfully.
Above all, the exhibition makes visible the people who had a personal connection to these objects as well as their biographies, losses and memories. Large-format illustrations by artist Melanie Lüdtke provide an emotional connection to these people, now that only a few written records remain to tell their story.
How can we deal responsibly with these objects in museum collections today? How do researchers contextualize these traces? What ways are there to take responsibility for the injustices committed by previous generations – for example, by returning human remains to their societies of origin or by reappraising colonial and Nazi collection histories? The current special exhibition aims to encourage people to address these questions.
Conveying provenance research
The exhibition is based on the collaborative project “Nachgefragt – Provenienzforschung vemritteln” which took place in Southern Lower Saxony. It is primarily based on the findings of provenance research conducted by Dr Christian Riemenschneider. The project explored how the topic of provenance research can be conveyed to the local population.
Nine museums from Southern Lower Saxony were part of the project. In workshops and pop-up exhibitions, objects, their stories and questions by local people were collected. The ideas and perspectives which came up in the process are the basis for the exhibition shown in the Forum Wissen.
Events programme
[Opening on 11 December 2025]
6.30 p.m. | Forum Wissen
At the opening, Dr Peter Götz von Olenhusen, Chairman of the Board of the South Lower Saxony Regional Association, will introduce the research project on which the exhibition is based. Dr Sandra Potsch, Director of the Knowledge Museum at the Forum Wissen and the Central Custody Office, and Juliane Gehler, curator of the exhibition, will talk about how the exhibition at the Forum Wissen came about. Afterwards, there will be an opportunity to view the exhibition. Drinks and snacks will be served in our museum café, Liesels X Forum.
[Public tours]
There is a rich event programme including tours, talks and workshops parallel to the exhibition.
→ Check out the calendar on this website for the latest information.
Visit
Opening hours
Tuesday – Sunday
10 a.m. — 6 p.m.
Plan your visit to the Forum Wissen. Our team is happy to assist you!
Thank you!
We would like to thank the Landschaftsverband Südniedersachsen e.V. Göttingen for their cooperation. We would also like to thank the Lower Saxony Foundation, the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK) and the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) for their support of the exhibition.
