Short film presents the CERES collection on the history of missions

As part of a kick-off event for the accompanying program to the exhibition “Mission Collections Unpacked,” film footage was shot at CERES at the end of March 2025, which has now been released in a short film. The film offers a compact overview of the exhibition concept, taking as its starting point the CERES collection, which comprises archival materials and objects from the Christian order of the African Missionaries (White Fathers). After the dissolution of the order's house in Cologne, this collection came to CERES and today represents an important resource for research, museum collaborations, and the public communication of the research focus on mission collections.

The film features scientists Belinda Maria Peters, Martin Radermacher, and Patrick Krüger, who were involved in the conceptual design of the exhibition and are also involved in the work of the research focus on mission collections at CERES. They report on the cataloguing, scientific processing and conservation of the holdings, explain the exact composition of the collection and classify the objects in their context of origin. Using concrete examples, they also illustrate the research value of such materials and highlight the role the collection plays in the context of research into mission collections and in the broader field of religious contact research at CERES.
Part of the collection is integrated into the multi-location exhibition concept “Mission Collections Unpacked,” whose central exhibition will open on October 2, 2025, at the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum in Cologne. In addition to this main exhibition, numerous events are planned – from special exhibitions and lectures to expert tours, which will be realized in 2025 and 2026 in cooperation with various institutions (museums, religious orders, etc.) that also have relevant collections or a thematic connection.

The short film is now available on our YouTube channel. It is aimed at a broad audience – from interested visitors and press representatives to specialist scholars who would like to gain a sound overview of the content and concept of the exhibition.

Click here to watch the film “Mission Collections Unpacked – Presentation of the CERES Mission History Collection”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPQTL5u-7YY&t=134s