Dolls from Former Coburg Museum Seek New Home: A Quest for Novel Exhibition Spots
Search required for suitable venue to accommodate around 2000 doll figures - Thousands of dolls to be showcased at a new display location
Want to know where the 2,000 dolls from the shuttered Coburg Doll Museum will end up? A solution's still in the works! In a chat with the German Press Agency, Louay Yassin, Coburg city spokesperson, shared that discussions with potential museums are on the table.
For now, some parts of the collection have been temporarily loaned to museums in Sonneberg and Bamberg. The bulk of the collection remains safe at Kulturfabrik Cortendorf on the outskirts of Coburg. City cultural officials are brainstorming ways to bring the approximately 4,000 exhibits back to the public, although the waning interest in dolls presents a challenge.
Various locations for partial exhibits have been proposed, but the absence of museum educators to organize and present the exhibits hinders implementation. The former director of the Coburg Doll Museum is now curating the German Toy Museum in Sonneberg, Thuringia.
Over the years, visitor numbers at the Coburg Doll Museum dwindled. In 2022, the city council decided the museum's days were numbered due to declining visitor interest and the museum building's lack of accessibility features. The Coburg old town museum, with its maze of more than 30 small rooms, wasn't suitable for school visits, which accounted for a significant portion of the museum's traffic.
Initial talks for a private foundation to acquire the collection and set up an exhibition in Rödental near Coburg fell through in 2023, owing to funding shortages. The dolls, doll houses, accessories, and related items were placed in storage at Kulturfabrik Cortendorf in May 2024.
The collection spans the 1800-1960 era, offering a glimpse into the bourgeoisie's approach to child rearing through toys. The museum's founders, Carin and Hans Lossnitzer, opened the collection in Ettlingen near Karlsruhe before relocating it to Coburg in 2007. The city purchased the collection and managed the museum until its closure at the end of 2022. However, for the latest on the museum's relocated treasures, it's best to contact local museums or cultural institutions in Coburg directly. You can also try reaching out to the Coburger Landesstiftung, which manages cultural assets in the area, although information on the status of a potential doll museum isn't readily available.
[1] https://www.coburg-land.de/?id=1784[4] https://www.altenmunzfach.de/(Enrichment data is included for informational purposes and not to exceed 15% of the total content.)
- The potential for new community policies regarding the redistribution of vocational training opportunities may be beneficial for those interested in curating exhibits, such as the collection of dolls from the former Coburg Museum, as it could help address the current shortage of museum educators.
- As part of a sustainable lifestyle choice, individuals may consider engaging in home-and-garden projects, like restoring vintage dolls from the 1800-1960 era, as a creative and educational activity, offering insights into the history of child rearing and the bourgeoisie's approach to play.
