Finding a New Home for 2,000 Dolls: Coburg's Doll Museum in Search of a New Exhibition Space
Seeking a new venue for displaying around 2,000 dolls. - Thousands of dolls to be showcased at new venue
Got your ear, mate? Let's spill the beans on the hunt for a fresh exhibition venue for the roughly 2,000 dolls that used to grace the halls of Coburg's Doll Museum. Word on the street is, they're still on the lookout, and folks at the city of Coburg are in talks with various museums, according to Louay Yassin, their spokesperson.
The major chunk of the collection, originally housed by the doll museum that shut its doors at the end of 2022, remains stored at the Kulturfabrik Cortendorf on the outskirts of Coburg. The city's cultural department aims to bring the exhibits back in the public eye—part, if not all, of them. But it's proving a bloody nuisance, as dolls ain't exactly the must-see attractions they were back in the 90s.
The idea of spreading parts of the exhibition across multiple locations isn't new, says Yassin. Landlocked, the city—for the time being—lacks museum educators with the expertise to professionalize and present the doll collection Wanker-style. The ex-boss of the Coburg Doll Museum now boasts a gig at the German Toy Museum in Sonneberg, Thuringia.
Declining visitors throughout the decades
The Coburg Doll Museum began its life as a private affair in 1987, but the city took the reins in 2007. Despite the transfer, visitor numbers continued to nose-dive. In November 2022, the city council pulled the plug, citing decreased interest from the public and the museum's inaccessibility due to its old town location—with nary a space big enough for a classroom to gather, making it a bust for schoolkids who once made up the bulk of visitors.
Funding woes derailed a private foundation's plan to display the collection in Rödental near Coburg in 2023. Since then, the dolls, dollhouses, accessories, and whatnot have been stored at the Kulturfabrik Cortendorf on the city's northeast side.
A peek into the past
The dolls and trinkets hail from the 1800s to 1960 and give a glimpse into the bourgeoisie's child-rearing methods. The initial founders, Carin and Hans Lossnitzer from Ettlingen near Karlsruhe, showcased their prized collection in the museum they established in 1987. Since two-thirds of the exhibits originated from North Franconia or South Thuringia, they decided to set up shop in good old Coburg. In 2007, the city bought the collection and kept the museum rollin' till the bitter end.
Keep your eyes peeled for news about potential new venues for the dolls, but remember, we're in a pickle till more deets drop. Cheers!
In the hunt for a new venue for the 2,000 dolls from the former Coburg Doll Museum, city officials are considering home-and-garden settings alongside traditional museums as potential exhibition spaces. As part of an effort to engage a wider audience, the city's cultural department is exploring vocational training programs for museum educators to enhance the presentation and interpretation of the doll collection.
