In its anniversary year, the University of Oldenburg is offering those interested the chance to take a look behind the scenes – and to discover many unusual and fascinating places that are not usually open to the public.
The dance lesson fan from the 1940s, which is already looking slightly worn, is one of Klara von Lindern’s favourite pieces from the ‘Textile Everyday Culture’ collection. In her presentation, the art historian shows a photograph of the object: the light-brown fan consists of wooden slats that can be folded together, held in place at the top by a green ribbon. “The young men would write short poems or verses directly onto the individual slats of the fan and, in return, receive a calling card from the owner,” explains von Lindern, who has been curator of the collection at the University’s Institute of Material Culture since 2023.
On a rainy Thursday evening in February, a diverse group of visitors gathered at the University’s Institute of Material Culture for an after-work guided tour to gain an insight into the collection’s treasures – some of which are curious and extravagant, whilst others are rather unassuming. The tour was one of the first of its kind: In its anniversary year, the university is offering anyone interested the chance to explore areas of the institution that are normally off-limits to the public – including various research laboratories, the library, the workshops on the Innovation Campus, and the roofs of the buildings in Haarentor and Wechloy with their solar panels.
At the Institute of Material Culture, participants are given a small taste of the breadth of the collection as soon as they arrive: In the centre of the weaving room – which is characterised not by the presence of computers, but by looms – stands a zebra-print platform shoe next to a shiny PVC cap featuring the British Union Jack pattern. A mannequin wears a so-called Spencer jacket made of black leather, reaching down to the waist, with thick shoulder pads from the 1980s.
Objects that tell a story
However, the story behind these curious garments is not revealed just yet. Curator von Lindern begins by introducing the concept behind the collection. “We’re not interested in haute couture or high-end designer fashion, but in everyday objects. The items we collect must tell a fascinating story,” she explains. One example is the dance lesson fan, which offers an insight into a specific aspect of post-war everyday culture. “It’s important that we understand the context in which an object was used. To establish this ‘object biography’, we conduct structured interviews with the donors,” explains von Lindern.
Over the next 90 minutes, the participants learn that the collection comprises not only items of clothing, but also dyes, other textile objects such as bags or belts, and ‘printed matter’ such as Otto catalogues, fashion magazines and children’s books relating to fashion. They hear how donated items are handled and catalogued – and get a glimpse of the various components of the collection: in the ‘Clothes and Stories’ archive, staff member Veronika Dawydow is currently sitting, carefully sewing an inventory number onto a cream-coloured handbag studded with small pearls. The room is surrounded on three sides by floor-to-ceiling cupboards, some of which are stacked with acid-free cardboard boxes, whilst others hold elegant evening gowns hanging alongside balloon-silk suits and unusual knitted jumpers – a bit like a second-hand shop. Klara von Lindern takes a red cocktail dress, adorned with poppy appliqués, out of the cupboard and explains that the owner wore it at the Bayreuth Festival and later at other social events.
Finally, the group returns to the weaving room and the collection pieces on display there: in a practical exercise, the tour participants are invited to ‘question’ the objects themselves, just like researchers – and to explore their history creatively using various methods.
Klara von Lindern sees the anniversary tours as an opportunity to raise the profile of areas of the university that “otherwise tend to fly under the radar”, as she puts it. “The collections are a wonderful, vibrant and creative part of the university that are definitely worth a visit,” she says. Given the positive response, she plans to offer the tour again in the summer and probably in the autumn as well.
On the trail of history in the library
During the summer semester, numerous other areas of the university will be opening their doors: for example, the Telemedicine Centre will be showcasing its work, the Institute for Economics Education will be welcoming visitors to its premises, the University Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy will be offering an insight into the world of neuroscience, and at the Centre for Wind Energy Research (ForWind), those interested can explore the Institute’s large wind tunnel. All guided tours are free of charge.
One highlight is presented by Dr Oliver Schoenbeck, who is responsible for public relations at the library. On several dates during the summer semester, he is offering an ‘archaeological’ library tour which, as the announcement states, ‘sets out in search of curious and hidden traces of the university’s history in its collections and architectural details’. “The history of the BIS – that is, the Library and Information System – goes hand in hand with the history of the university,” explains Schoenbeck. The library building, which was planned from the outset as an open, flexible structure, has undergone repeated structural changes over the past decades.
This is also because the role and functions of libraries have changed over the past 50 years. Participants on the guided tour can experience this, for example, by looking into closed stacks where analogue media such as microfilms are stored; a selection of rare collections, amongst other things, illustrates the challenges libraries face in preserving old books. For those with a nostalgic streak, Schoenbeck has organised an exhibition in the library foyer, which documents the building’s transformation since the early 1980s through photographs.
Anyone wishing to take a peek behind the scenes at the university during this anniversary year should visit the website uol.de/50jahre/fuehrungen – and make up their mind quickly when new dates are announced: previous tours have usually been fully booked within a few days.
