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The matter is delicate. In beginning, many had to brea, when Dresden Hygiene Museum announced an exhibition on subject of racism. Because this House, now more than 100 years old, has a poisonous history on this subject itself: delusion of National Socialist racial hygiene has also been devised here, spread and made popular from here. The museum was, unfortunately, to be said, once a temple of Nazi ideology. People and race were called one of his exhibitions, 1934 was that.
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Well, about eight decades later, re is an exhibition in same place called racism. And it carries subtitle: The Invention of human races. An institution is in its own history. The hygiene museum participated in invention of human races in 1930s and benefited massively from interest of Nazis in a so-called Erbgesundheitspolitik. All this is being worked up by exhibition.
When you ask Susanne Wernsing what all this means for you – this exhibition, in this House – she thinks for some time. Wernsing, a historian, is curator of show. On Monday of this week she stands between museum shelves, where she is still being drilled and hammered around, trying to explain what she is up to. “Our historical heritage is a sensitive point. We ask of course: what role has house played? “
Wernsing knows that at today’s Hygiene museum, besides its history, its visitors are also special. They come from all strata and professions. Such a heterogeneous audience as here is seldom met. As museum expects, this will also be noticeable at new exhibition. The catalogue says: “We expect people to come to us who are mselves affected by racism, as well as those who have prejudices against people with a migrant background or who criticise current refugee policy.”
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Susanne Wernsing has drawn two conclusions from this. “We have a clear position,” she says. Against racism, yes. But it is too educational or even instructive that show should not come.
This article comes from time No. 21/2018. Here you can read entire output.
Perhaps it is due to proximity of Hygiene museum, perhaps also to very special Dresden discourse climate caused by Pegida: In any case, Wernsing has succeeded in naming a feeling that wafts through many sections of population. “No one claims re are races,” she explains. “And yet in some people re is always doubt: or is it perhaps?” You, Wernsing, do not have any illusions: surely re would be people in this exhibition who might not know so well wher human races existed or not, wher y are detectable or not. That is why show must answer exactly this question.
And answer is, black on white glued to wall: “Human races are not to be proven. Neverless, idea is in our minds. We see differences between people and beliefs to recognize races. “
