PRESS RELEASE
25.02.2010
AufRuhr 1225! – Knights, Castles and Intrigues
ATELIER BRÜCKNER designs one of the key projects for the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010
The AufRuhr 1225! exhibition, which runs in the LWL-Museum for Archaeology in Herne from 27th February to 28th November, promises an unusual look at the Ruhr. This project, conceived by ATELIER BRÜCKNER for the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010 takes a look back at the Middle Ages, when the region between the rivers Ruhr and Emscher was one of those with the most castles in the German-speaking world.
With a floor space of around 1500 square metres, the exhibition brings together over 800 valuable objects, to include the famous Cappenberg head reliquary (dated around 1155) and a gold and silver-plated bust of Archbishop Engelbert of Cologne (dated around 1500). These exhibits are incorporated into a dramatically staged tour, illustrating everyday life in the Middle Ages. Ten individually designed exhibition cubes are dedicated to separate topics like the Church and the Pope, knights and castles but also to family and travelling. Historical characters, presented as life-size cut-outs, guide visitors towards these topics.
The central theme throughout the exhibition is formed by the events surrounding the death of Engelbert, Archbishop of Cologne. He was killed in 1225 in an ambush in what is today’s Ruhr region. This ambush, staged as a spectacular prologue to the exhibition, destabilized the entire region and resulted in more castles being built. Over 400 castles, which are presented in a separate installation, are still in evidence in the Ruhr of today.
One of the most impressive sites in today’s Ruhr are still the ruins of the castle that belonged to Count Friedrich von Isenberg, the alleged murderer of the archbishop. It is the focal point of another exhibition area which is concerned with the sensory perception of the Middle Ages. Museum visitors both young and old can immerse themselves in life in a castle around 1300 in the “White Hall” of the Herne Museum using interactive and explorative means. Here history is conveyed vividly and emotively.
Contact
ATELIER BRÜCKNER GmbH
Claudia Luxbacher
Press and Public Relations
T. +49 711 5000 77 126
F. +49 711 5000 77 22
presse(at)atelier-brueckner.com