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Treasures and worries: The Starnberg Museum and its depot in the air raid shelter

2022-05-21T10:11:03.002Z


Treasures and worries: The Starnberg Museum and its depot in the air raid shelter Created: 05/21/2022, 12:00 p.m By: Tobias Gmach Have an overview: Museum director Benjamin Tillig (left) and collection director Daniel Kofler with the torn arm of a bow figure from the historic saloon steamer Luitpold in one of the depot rooms. © Dagmar Rutt The Starnberger See Museum stores a third of its 6000


Treasures and worries: The Starnberg Museum and its depot in the air raid shelter

Created: 05/21/2022, 12:00 p.m

By: Tobias Gmach

Have an overview: Museum director Benjamin Tillig (left) and collection director Daniel Kofler with the torn arm of a bow figure from the historic saloon steamer Luitpold in one of the depot rooms.

© Dagmar Rutt

The Starnberger See Museum stores a third of its 6000 objects in a former air raid shelter.

The depot, which itself is steeped in history, offers the best conditions and preserves treasures from shipping, art and everyday culture.

One room, however, reveals a major problem.

Söcking - This building is really made for disasters.

This is already indicated by seven letters on the wall near the entrance.

"OP", "RÖ" and "AMB" can be read there - even if you turn off the light.

However, the neon signs no longer point the way to operating theaters, X-ray rooms or to the outpatient clinic for a long time.

In the corridors with the low ceilings there are boxes with old and still sealed new books.

holdings of the city archives.

If you turn left a few meters after the entrance, you will come across history in all its forms: the largest depot of the Lake Starnberg Museum is spread out there in eleven rooms.

About a third of the 6,000 historical objects are stored there.

For orientation: We are in the basement under the Söckinger elementary school, in nested catacombs on 750 square meters with a total of 82 rooms.

In front of some you can read "preparation", "sterilization" or "guard station" on small boards.

References to the former auxiliary hospital, built as an air raid shelter for disasters during the Cold War.

It was completed and inaugurated together with the school complex on October 20, 1967.

There used to be 44 such emergency clinics in Bavaria, and there were 200 beds in the basement under the school.

Only once was full operation: in 1988, doctors and nurses rehearsed the emergency.

Wrapped paintings in special cupboards: Each of the approximately 2000 objects has an inventory number and is registered in a computer database.

© Dagmar Rutt

When the museum depot and archive had already moved in in the 1990s, the premises were still used as a civil defense facility – with 626 shelters.

The city was given the requirement to be able to clear the basement at any time within twelve hours.

This no longer applies since 2012, when the plant was released from state civil protection.

"At first I was worried that I wouldn't find my way out," says Daniel Kofler, the man with the key to the bunker doors.

Kofler is collection manager at the museum.

The depot is not ultra-modern and air-conditioned, but the conditions are almost ideal in a natural way.

Constantly 17 to 20 degrees, the humidity a little under 50 percent, no daylight.

Kofler's constant task in this ambience: "Bring things in order to find things again," he says.

Inventory numbers on each individual object bear witness to this: on the plastic-covered paintings, the apostle figures lying in cupboards, on the "school radio receiver" with all sorts of controls, on the historic spin dryer and on the dishes.

In this way, Kofler finds every potential exhibit in his computer database, complete with photos and information on its origin and condition.

The torn off arm of a bow figure from the saloon steamer Luitpold, which sailed across Lake Starnberg until the middle of the 20th century, catches the eye.

But also a small coffin lying on the same pallet.

"It's not a child's coffin," says Kofler.

But a so-called small viewing coffin, which in earlier times was intended to make people aware of their own transience.

Former auxiliary hospital: This is proven, among other things, by these signs in neon letters on the walls.

© Dagmar Rutt

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In another room, memories of Kurt Schmid-Ehmen, who is considered the creator of the imperial eagle and National Socialist emblem, come to life.

The sculptor lived in Starnberg for twenty years until his death in 1968.

In the bunker is a woman made of plaster from him.

A template.

"It was to be set up twice life-size in a hall on the Nuremberg Nazi Party Rally Grounds," explains museum director Benjamin Tillig during the tour of the depot.

But it didn't come to that.

Because the Nazis invaded Poland.

Because the war started.

Between these many contemporary testimonies, the conversation automatically turns to the subject of collecting.

"The collection strategy has changed over time," explains Tillig.

In short: from hoarding to conscious selection.

“In the past, museums collected across everyday culture.

It was about saving grandparents' worlds.

Today we decide more rigorously which objects we accept.” An example: Tillig talks about the woman who offered him a load of antiquated underwear and aprons.

And he adds that an underwear exhibition is unlikely.

Kofler explains what questions full-time historians ask themselves about an exhibit: “Where does it come from?

What does it tell?

Why are we protecting it?”

The museum has clear focal points: the court and steamer shipping, the art around Lake Starnberg and the accessible monument Lochmannhaus.

And the museum simply doesn't have an endless amount of space, no, far too little, say Tillig and Kofler.

For proof, they lead to a room on the other side of the catacombs.

It is her personal chamber of secrets.

The room should not be photographed, the two men do not want to give the (wrong) impression that they are careless with historical assets.

All sorts of objects of everyday culture are stored in other rooms.

© Dagmar Rutt

In the opposite wing there was neat order, but here everything lies and stands all over the place: rustic cupboards, chairs, beds, tools, saws, spinning wheels, looms, mangles, a wooden carillon.

In between, the narrow escape route of the kindergarten leads through.

He must remain free.

Actually, you should do a major revision here, have the objects checked and assembled by knowledgeable carpenters.

Perhaps one would even track down real rarities.

“But we don't want to touch anything because we don't know what will happen then.

And then we would have to stack everything up again anyway,” says Tillig.

He has been with the museum since 2019, Kofler since 2014. Neither of them knows the space any differently.

"He's our biggest problem child," says Tillig.

The museum is therefore looking for another large area for the depot.

"Around 200 square meters, a barn or something similar would be good." The museum director has a cultural sponsorship in mind.

But the museum cannot pay for it.

Tillig: "You know the financial situation of the city."

Despite the contrasting program at the end of the tour, one beautiful parallel in particular sticks out: there under the elementary school, where people were once supposed to be protected from bad turns in history, things that tell history are now protected.

The museum needs more space: guided tours and room searches

The Starnberger See Museum offers one-hour tours through the depot in the rooms of the former air raid shelter and auxiliary hospital.

The first dates: Wednesday, May 25th and Wednesday, June 1st, at 6 p.m.

Because of the cramped space, only five participants are allowed per tour.

Admission costs five euros, the speaker is collection manager Daniel Kofler.

The meeting point is at the elementary school in Söcking (Bismarckstraße 13).

Registration: by e-mail to info@museum-starnberger-see.de or by telephone on (0 81 51) 4 47 75 70. Anyone who can offer the museum space for the depot free of charge should send an e-mail to the director Benjamin Tillig contact: leitung.mss@starnberg.de.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-05-21

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