“Thinking Along in the Museum”

In an interview with Deutschlandfunk Kultur, museum director Dr. Simone Blaschka explains the participatory concept of the Critical Thinking Stations.

At the Deutsches Auswandererhaus, much can be learned about the complex processes of immigration and emigration. But what opinions do visitors bring regarding migration issues, and how do these change during the exhibition visit? Museum director Dr. Simone Blaschka discussed the possibilities of an interactive dialogue with Sigrid Brinkmann from Deutschlandfunk Kultur.

The questions at our Critical Thinking Stations are answered through touch screens and light reflectors. © Deutsches Auswandererhaus / Photo: Magdalena Gerwien

It is important, emphasizes Blaschka, to engage visitors as individual persons who, in both historical context and their everyday lives, are affected by migration in one way or another. An innovative method specifically developed for the Deutsches Auswandererhaus to encourage guests to think along is the Critical Thinking Stations. These act as connections between the exhibition and the visitors and provide the necessary reflection space to contemplate what has been experienced in the museum or heard in the news, Blaschka continues. Ultimately, it is the educational mission of a museum to broaden its guests’ perspectives and enable shifts in viewpoint.

The entire interview can be listened to on the website of Deutschlandfunk Kultur.