Missionssammlungen ausgepackt (Missionary collections unpacked)
A multi-location exhibition project in North Rhine-Westphalia
Central special exhibition at the RJM, Cologne: October 3, 2025–February 8, 2026
Events and activities at participating institutions: March 2025–April 2026
Organized by:
Center for Religious Studies (CERES), Ruhr University Bochum
Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum, Cologne
The exhibition focuses on missionary collecting activities and missionary collections. It aims to show how these reflect moments of cultural and religious contact. “Contact” encompasses the entire spectrum from friendly to hostile encounters and from constructive exchange to violent conflicts. This spectrum is presented in a differentiated and objective manner and linked to the question of the extent to which collections and the collecting activities of missionaries are still relevant today for people in the regions of origin, in the missionary orders and societies, as well as in society and the public sphere. The exhibition does not seek blanket answers to complex questions, but rather opens up a space in which the diversity of voices can be shown and heard.
As a multi-local project, the exhibition also aims to highlight the diversity of voices and opinions on missionary collections and missionary collecting activities, together with accompanying formats in North Rhine-Westphalia and neighboring regions. The project has been in preparation for several years in close cooperation with the relevant actors and partners. These cooperation partners contribute to the project through decentralized local formats. This opens up additional spaces for the diversity of perspectives and voices, while at the same time presenting the diversity of missionary collections and missionary collection holdings in museums in North Rhine-Westphalia and neighboring regions more visibly than before.
The formats in the local institutions are based on the respective holdings and themes on site and at the same time refer to the central special exhibition in Cologne, for which they also provide loans in many cases.
Participating partners in the region
- Mission House Neuenbeken “Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood – Congregatio Pretiosi Sanguinis (CPS)”
- Mission House St. Michael, Steyl, NL, “Steyler Missionaries – Society of the Divine Word – Societas Verbi Divini (SVD)”
- Knechtsteden Mission House “Spiritans – Missionary Society of the Holy Spirit – Congregatio Sancti Spiritus (CSSp)”
- Forum of Nations, Franciscans, Werl
- House of Nations and Cultures, Sankt Augustin
- Missie Museum Steyl
- “Steyler Missionaries – Society of the Divine Word – Societas Verbi Divini (SVD)”, St. Augustin
- Museum auf der Hardt, United Evangelical Mission, formerly Rhenish Mission, Wuppertal
- Lippisches Landesmuseum
- Religious Studies Collection of the University of Münster
- Landesmuseum Hannover (Collection of the Hiltrup Missionary Sisters)
- Ludwig-Harms-Haus Hermannsburg
Media
Deutschlandfunk interview with Belinda Maria Peters on dealing with the missionary legacy