Clothing and Fashion of the 18^th and 19^th Century

Clothing and fashion are among the most attractive but also among the most problematic collection categories of a museum. In their immediate relationship to the human body and their sensuousness they are significant artefacts of their time, and often objects of art in their lavish beauty or simple elegance.

A collection of clothing poses "special demands" in the area of preservation. Often clothing has been handed down and due to their past use, being worn out and going out of fashion, the amount of clothing obtained by a museum is often incomplete or fragmentary.

With funds of the Foundation of Lower Saxony, valuable objects of the collection have been secured and restored. Parts of the collection, ranging from around 1750 to the middle of the 19^th century, were made accessible to the public in 1997. They offer insights into the dress conduct of the small town and its surrounding rural areas from the Rococo to the Biedermeier period. Clothing for everyday and for festive occasions as well as accessories depict fashion trends, regional varieties and the bigger context of cultural history.
(Übersetzung: Isabella Erb)