Research Projects

Interdisciplinary research of our collections from different perspectives is a central concern of ours. We support dialogue, the exchange of knowledge and cooperation with scholars, curators, various actors in urban society, and with the descendants of the societies from which the collections originate. Our research projects and programmes examine material culture and the arts with an approach informed by cultural anthropology, cultural history and art history. They deal with the situatedness of our holdings in urban and global history and are dedicated to a critical reappraisal of the history of our institutions and collections. Moreover, the collections represent an important foundation to reflect current debates on colonialism, cultural heritage and identity.