So this is Home? A Change of Perspective

Opened in 1901, the Altona Museum was envisioned by its founding director, Otto Lehmann (1865–1951), as both a “local history museum” and a “center for public education.” To introduce the urban population to the cultural history of northern Germany, Lehmann collected ceramics, traditional costumes, and peasant interiors, commissioned models of farmhouses, and acquired romanticized genre paintings—driven by concerns over the loss of rural life in the face of industrialization and urbanization.

The exhibition “So this is Home?” takes a critical look at the origins of the museum’s own collection. Through objects related to living, dressing, and cooking, visitors can see how, at the beginning of the 20th century, a particular vision of “home” was constructed and affirmed.

Contemporary photography and design works engage in dialogue with these historical objects, prompting reflection on questions of power, belonging, and community. A “Heimat library” offers the opportunity to explore concepts such as Heimat, belonging, adopted home and homelessness from different perspectives through literature. Visitors can continuously expand the library in a participatory manner by suggesting new acquisitions.

On the museum’s second floor, an artistic intervention complements the exhibition. At its center stands Otto Lehmann’s former desk. Archival materials illuminate his vision for the museum and his role in the cultural policies of the Nazi regime—presented among the historical farmhouse models and peasant interiors.