Dolls from Closed Coburg Puppet Museum Seek New Exhibition Home
Searching for a new exhibit site to accommodate around 2,000 dolls - Display area for approximate 2,000 doll figures
In search of a new place to call home, the approximately 2,000 dolls from the defunct Coburg Puppet Museum are currently up for grabs. Discussions are ongoing with various museums, reveals Louay Yassin, spokesperson for the city of Coburg, to the German Press Agency.
Currently, a portion of the display has been temporarily transferred to museums in Sonneberg and Bamberg. The rest of the collection, which closed at the end of 2022, remains in storage at the Kulturfabrik Cortendorf on the outskirts of Coburg. The city's cultural department is eager to bring the approximately 4,000 exhibits back to public view.
The challenge lies in finding an audience for dolls, which were once all the rage but have since faded in popularity, especially since the '90s. Given that they are no longer as captivating as they once were, the department is having a tough time figuring out how to display these enchanting figures to the masses once again.
The idea of splitting the exhibition across multiple locations has been floating around for a while, says Yassin. However, the city is missing the museum educators required to professionally prepare and present the inventory. The former director of the Coburg Puppet Museum is now working at the German Toy Museum in Sonneberg, Thuringia.
Visitors to the Coburg Puppet Museum had been declining steadily over the years, leading to the city council's decision to close the museum by the end of 2022. The reasons included decreased visitor interest, the museum building's lack of accessibility, and the chaotic layout of the exhibition, which offered no space for school classes to gather.
Initially, a private foundation wanted to take over the collection and exhibit it in Rodental near Coburg. Unfortunately, the project fell apart in 2023 due to funding shortages. Since May 2024, the dolls, dollhouses, accessories, and other objects have been temporarily stored in the Kulturfabrik Cortendorf in the northeast of Coburg.
The dolls and accessories date back to around 1800 to 1960, offering a fascinating glimpse into the bourgeoisie's methods of child-rearing. The museum, initially a private institution opened in 1987, was taken over by the city in 2007.
- Bavaria
- Sonneberg
- Bamberg
- German Press Agency
- '90s
Coburg Puppet Museum: From Glory to Closure
Despite its rich history, the Coburg Puppet Museum faced an unfortunate end due to decreasing visitor numbers and challenges such as the museum building's unfavorable accessibility. The collection, now in search of a fresh exhibition space, offers a rare opportunity to rediscover the significance of these charming dolls in the context of Bavarian history and culture.
- The community policy in Coburg could potentially include vocational training programs to educate museum educators, enabling the revival of the closed Coburg Puppet Museum.
- Incorporating sections of the Coburg Puppet Museum collection into home-and-garden displays, showcasing vintage dolls and their historical significance, could provide a unique lifestyle experience for visitors.
