Textile Restoration
Maintenance of personal mementos
The collection of the German Emigration Center is a collection about migration history. It consists of documents, photos, film and audio interviews – and personal mementos that equally tell stories of the old and new lives of migrants. Since the museum’s opening in 2005, the collection has grown to over 3000 family stories. The objects, which come from several centuries of migration history, are now finally to receive more space in the new permanent exhibition, as few things bring the past to life as much as materialized life stories made from paper, metal, or glass.
Over 300 previously unseen objects will be on display for visitors starting June 26, 2021, in addition to the previously exhibited collection pieces. For this, restoration is sometimes necessary, as well as protection against natural aging processes caused by light, moisture, or friction.
Prominent materials that make up keepsakes include fabrics and leather. As everyday objects, they typically show signs of use quickly and, as natural materials, are at risk of being attacked by fungi and hungry insects. Textile and leather conservator Carmen Markert traveled from Hanover to assess collection pieces. For instance, the large US flag from 1908, which is a focal point in the museum’s ‘Grand Central Terminal,’ required work: an American emigrant brought it with him when he visited his homeland in Drakenburg. The family of his daughter, who was left behind there, preserved it for nearly a century and donated it to the Deutsches Auswandererhaus. In April 2021, Carmen Markert restored the California flag alongside two colleagues – conservator Eva Kümmel (Lübeck) and Markert’s former intern Laura van der Put. Carefully, signs of aging like tears were reconnected with needle and thread. The large linen cloth was then reattached and securely framed.
In mid-May 2021, Dr. Simone Blaschka, director of the Deutsches Auswandererhaus, collection manager Dr. Tanja Fittkau, and the conservator discussed how to present additional sensitive collection textiles. For each object, climatic conditions, lighting, and mounting methods for a so-called ‘conservation display’ are established to ensure that the collection pieces remain preserved in the showcase for a long time.
This is also planned for a children’s dress from 1952 from the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. The dress, which was sewn by the grandmother from fabric scraps, belonged to the physics engineer Elena (Olena) Fridrih as a child. She brought it with her as a keepsake in 1992 as a contingent refugee to the Federal Republic. Her great-grandchildren lovingly donated the intricately embroidered piece to the Deutsches Auswandererhaus in 2016, where it will soon be on display in the permanent exhibition.