Symposium The Last German Emperor’s Colonial Art

On Saturday the 23rd of March 2024, Museum Huis Doorn will host a symposium focused on colonial art belonging to the last German emperor Wilhelm II. In cooperation with Utrecht University, the museum invastigated the provenance of its collections with possible links to colonial history. The symposium will be held in English.

Provenance Research

In line with a broader development in the cultural sector, Museum Huis Doorn in cooperation with Utrecht University, started investigating the origins and provenance of parts of its collection with possible links to colonial history.

Invaluable Chinese Lacquer Panels

During this investigation, unexpected stories came to light regarding the German imperial family, German colonial policy and even the First World War. As an example of this we uncovered the stories behind a series of invaluable Chinese lacquer panels straight from the Forbidden City in Bejing. We were even able to uncover the identity of a unknown African colonial soldier.

The symposium will centre around the following subjects, all of which are linked to object-based research findings from within Huis Doorn’s collection:
– Colonial Art – Colonialism and WWI in the museum – Legacy of German colonial policy