Kohl-, Appel- un Blomenhoff
Rural home gardens in Schleswig-Holstein
In its new special exhibition “Kohl-, Appel- un Blomenhoff – rural home gardens in Schleswig-Holstein”, the Open-Air Museum Molfsee – State Museum for Ethnology has addressed the development history as well as the changing social and economic significance of the normal country gardens. Here, the major focus is on the period between 1900 and 1970.
The topic of gardens has been connected with the question of self-subsistence of country households for several centuries. What was cultivated (vegetables, fruit or herbs) and in what quantities? How were the yielded crops which were not consumed immediately stored and conserved? Were surpluses passed on, maybe to the poor? What scope did flowers and ornamental shrubs have? How were the gardens partitioned? How did the gardens change during the course of time? Were there regional differences? To what extent have monastery gardens, stately gardens, parsonage gardens and school gardens influenced rural garden culture over the past centuries?
The special exhibition “Kohl-, Appel- un Blomenhoff” provides answers to central questions such as this. The further aspects include the different garden work necessary during the course of the year. Also the question as to why mostly women were responsible for the gardens - and where they obtained their knowledge. Furthermore, the special exhibition follows the question as to from when and in what way ecological work styles played a role and how fertiliser used to be administered and vermin was fought against in former times.
Home gardens - far beyond a location for self-subsistence
Equally, the aspect of the garden as a location for recuperation is referred to. Arbours, grottos and walkways as well as artistically designed hedges and decorative flowerbeds are just some examples of design elements which made the garden a place for regeneration but also self-depiction for its owner above and beyond its economic use. Last but not least, the exhibition addresses common clichés and the commonly used but nonetheless problematic name of “Cottage garden”.
You will be able to see the major part of the “Kohl-, Appel- un Blomenhoff” exhibition in the impressive interior of the Barghaus from Arentsee from Wilstermarsch. Moreover, the different former types of garden formerly typical for Schleswig-Holstein’s rural regions are demonstrated in a descriptive manner based on ten show gardens according to historic models. And finally, landscape elements touching the topic area also spread around the grounds and integrated into the overall exhibition.
The exhibition presentation is largely based on the stocks of the country women’s archive. However, it was augmented with concrete exhibits from Open-Air Museum Molfsee – State Museum for Ethnology to provide a better overview.
Exhibition locations:
The main exhibition in the Barghaus from Arentsee, house no. 66 (garden house), house no. 44, all ten museum gardens on the grounds, one kindergarten, six buildings on the grounds.
Curator: Dr. Ulrike Looft-Gaude; Exhibition project manager: Dr. Nils Kagel
