Museum der Alltagskultur - Schloß Waldenbuch

Description

At Schloss Waldenbuch in Baden-Württemberg, the Museum der Alltagskultur, a branch of the Landesmuseum Württemberg, presents ethnographic collections and occupies an important position in the museum landscape of the German-speaking region.

Since 1989/90 the institution has operated as an independent establishment; the holdings on display historically derive from collections of the former Landesgewerbemuseum in Stuttgart.

The collection documents everyday life in its material manifestations from the 16th century to the present. It is regionally focused on Württemberg and comprises utilitarian objects, folk art and everyday items that touch on themes such as worlds of work and goods, images and worldviews, belief and superstition, clothing, advertising and brands, and domestic spheres. Overall, the objects reflect changes in lifestyles from pre-industrial through industrial to post-industrial.

The permanent exhibition covers 2,500 m² across three floors and was gradually reconceptualized and modernized between 2010 and 2015. Newly introduced sections place everyday objects in unusual contexts: in the "Zeitsprüngen", opened in 2011, a historical object is juxtaposed with a modern counterpart to reveal surprising parallels under shared guiding themes; for example, an ornate 19th-century Trachtenradhaube stands beside the rim of a modern luxury sports car.

At the end of 2012 the department "Wohnwelten" was added to the permanent display; it documents and analytically examines the development of domestic living from the 18th century to the present. Another section highlights the history of the castle as a ducal hunting lodge, which until the 19th century was the centre of the ducal hunts in Württemberg; deer antlers, weapons, hunting equipment and some curious accessories are on display there. The presentation "Leben ist Arbeit" addresses pre- and early-industrial forms of work and the transition from agriculture to the first industrial structures.

Participatory projects such as "Mein Stück Alltag" are developed in short-term collaborations with a wide range of groups — for example, young people, single parents from Esslingen, employees in healthcare professions and personnel from the waste management sector of the district of Böblingen — and present individual everyday stories.

On festival occasions the museum regularly holds family days for seasonal celebrations such as the Easter market, May Day festival, harvest festival, Christmas baking and the Feast of the Epiphany. The museum café is integrated into the exhibition’s aesthetic and furnished with second-hand furniture.