What is Enlightenment? Questions for the 18th Century

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“What is Enlightenment?” asked the Berlin pastor Johann Friedrich Zöllner in 1783 in an article for the Berlinische Monatsschrift. The magazine took up the question and passed it on to its readers. Thus began a debate about the term that was to leave its mark on the history of philosophy and to inspire Moses Mendelssohn, Immanuel Kant and other thinkers of the time to contribute responses that became famous. From 18 October 2024 to 6 April 2025 the Deutsches Historisches Museum devotes an extensive exhibition to the question of the essence of Enlightenment and poses further “Questions for the 18^th Century” that have been inspired by it.

In current sociopolitical discussions, the universal values of the Enlightenment are often cited or questioned as to the range of their impact. At the same time, the contradictions of that epoch have influenced our current thoughts and actions. The exhibition “What is Enlightenment? Questions for the 18th Century” creates a historical framework for the debates of our time: It concentrates on the central controversies of the epoch and sheds light on its ambivalences by presenting the ideas of the Enlightenment not as a homogenous progressive project, but by revealing the conflicts about its concepts and demands. In this way it becomes clear that the ideas of equality or tolerance of that epoch are not the same as our own thoughts on these topics and were often not put into practice. Thus, Friedrich II (Frederick the Great) of Prussia proclaimed religious toleration that was never realised. In the Declaration of Independence of the United States Thomas Jefferson postulated the equality of all people and was himself a slaveholder. In the course of the French Revolution the “Rights of Man and the Citizen” were proclaimed but they did not apply to women. It was the time of cosmopolitans, but also of colonialism where people in the colonies were enslaved and degraded to the status of trading goods. In the course of popular journeys of discovery, Europeans were fascinated by encounters with previously unknown peoples and described them in great detail. At the same time, experiments conducted to create a systematic classification of human beings laid the groundwork for supposedly scientific theories of racism.

The curator Liliane Weissberg focuses on the so-called “long 18^th century” in an international perspective and places the essential questions of the epoch in the centre of attention. After a prologue on the conception of Enlightenment, the tour through the 1100 square metres of the exhibition follows the principle of a kaleidoscope, allowing visitors to cross-reference the twelve chapters. The spectrum of topics ranges from the search for knowledge and the emergence of new sciences and principles of order to questions of religion, equality, and liberty of the people as well as the demand for civil rights, and continues on to the development of mercantilism and cosmopolitanism. The exhibition deals with the political and economic models of the time and the new concept of the public sphere, which includes the popular publication media, the academies and the salons. Other sections are devoted to the great importance of pedagogy and the emergence of the modern individual, trace the prevalent gender models, and examines how the modern age rediscovered antiquity.

The exhibition perceives the events, problems and persons of the time within their different constellations and at the same time shows them in relation to one another. It becomes evident that the Enlightenment as a political, social and intellectual movement was primarily borne by European thinkers, some of them women, who formulated their ideas not least of all on the basis of overseas travels, an active exchange of books and essays, and an intensive trade with goods from other continents.

The exhibition draws parallels between the 18^th century and the present time. In video interviews prominent figures from the fields of science, culture and the media – including the immunologist Drew Weissman, the philosophers Martha Nussbaum and Kwame Anthony Appiah, the historians Annette Gordon-Reed and Neil MacGregor, the writers Jens Bisky and Jürgen Kaube, as well as the former political refugee from Iran and present Mayor of Frankfurt am Main, Nargess Eskandari Grünberg – address the question of “What remains?” from today’s perspective. Alongside the interview clips presented in the exhibition, visitors can get further information from the longer versions found on the DHM website.

Presented as inclusive and largely barrier-free, the exhibition on two floors of the Pei Building shows paintings, drawings, coins and scientific machines from the DHM collection as well as from lenders from Belgium, Germany, France, Great Britain, Austria and the USA. On view are some 400 first-class exponents, some never displayed before, including original manuscripts of Isaac Newton, the silver microscope of King George III of England, a French declaration of human rights in the form of a round Communion wafer, an extremely rare engraved ostrich egg, and a French ball gown embroidered with hot-air balloon motifs.

Multimedia and interactive elements supplement the topics and get the guests involved in the exhibition. Visitors can follow the paths of illicit editions of the writings of Voltaire or Rousseau, for example. A trail for children in the inclusive exhibition booklet encourages them to learn through self-discovery and shows that questions about the Enlightenment are also relevant to them. An Audio Guide in German and English that also includes audio descriptions offers background information on selected objects in the exhibition as well as interview clips with the exhibition team.

In October, Hirmer Verlag is publishing a richly illustrated book on the topic in German and English with contributions from international scholars and philosophers including Roger Chartier, Robert Darnton, Peter E. Gordon, Jürgen Habermas and Emma Rothschild. In October, the digital DHM format More Story will also provide an introduction to the exhibition in German and English and offer extensive background information and interviews. Beginning in November, a multifaceted accompanying programme supplements and delves more deeply into the topics of the exhibition.

Extensive outreach and inclusive educational programme

What is the meaning of (in)equality, tolerance, culture and education, human rights, gender models, individuality and reason? What did they mean in the 18^th century, how do we understand them today, and what connection do young people now have with these topics? In the framework of the exhibition, the DHM – supported by the German Federal Cultural Foundation – has been working on a broad basis with young people from the Berliner Stadtgesellschaft and with inclusive school classes in Berlin and Brandenburg. The aim of this cooperation is to gain further understanding of the perspectives of the participants through workshops and months of working together and in this way to integrate them into the exhibition and its various programmes. In keeping with democratic participation it is hoped to break down the barriers that exist towards the institution museum and to invite a young, diverse group of people to participate and help shape the museum’s activities.

A special area of the exhibition is devoted to the question of “What remains?” It is curated by young Berliners and offers visitors the opportunity to express their own opinions. At an interactive station a further group uses topics that are relevant to them, such as education or gender models, to deal with the question of the changes and continuities from the time of the Enlightenment to the present day. Staff members of the DHM will work together with children from the inclusive schools on selected objects that will help to develop creative approaches to multisensory and interactive exhibition stations that are addressed specifically to children and young people.

Under the motto “Enlightenment NOW” our house will be open on three evenings during the course of the exhibition to discuss various questions concerning current views of enlightenment. A scholarly “slam”, performative tours, an entertaining quiz, stage performances, music, talks, and other programmes promise informative and entertaining evenings.

A conference on the subject of “Talking about Enlightenment. Education and Outreach” in February 2025 with experts from the areas of education and culture, politics and social work will summarise the results and experience gained from the exhibition. Didactic digital materials will document and distribute the findings after the exhibition.

Press conference: Wednesday, 16 October 2024, 11 am, auditorium, Pei Building

The first high-resolution press photos are available in the press area of the DHM website.