Chambers of Wonder – Inclusive and age-friendly museum work
Kulturräume+ Das kubia-Magazin #25

The 25th issue of kubia magazine focusses on museums and examines their relationship with older people, the accessibility of their offerings and their quality standards.
The International Association of Museums no longer sees the role of museums as merely preserving, researching and exhibiting cultural heritage, but also commits them to diversity, sustainability and participation. Museums are described as inclusive places of education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge exchange. Issue 25 of the kubia magazine Kulturräume+ examines whether and how museums in Germany fulfil this claim, particularly with regard to older people and people with disabilities.
In an interview, Doreen Mölders and Jens Stöcker, chairwomen of the Museumsverband NRW, which was founded in 2021, describe how many of the more than 1,000 museums in North Rhine-Westphalia are working to appeal to a diverse audience – for example through measures to increase accessibility or appropriate educational formats. Marion Hesse-Zwillus from the Cologne Museum Service explains what this can look like in practice.
Laura Wehr and Andrea Kenkmann have researched how museums can reach lonely and socially disadvantaged older people using the example of Munich’s “KulturSalon+”. Dorothee Mammel presents her study, in which she focussed on people with learning difficulties as a target group for museums. In Laura Oehms’ article, readers learn how the future of the Bergisches Museum was rethought in the participatory museum laboratory. Sara Smidt from the Kirchner Museum in Davos describes the stumbling blocks that can arise when citizens curate an exhibition.
Miriam Haller has investigated what makes a good cultural education programme for older people – and not just in museums – and developed a quality star with twelve guiding principles for cultural education for older people, which she presents for discussion in this issue.
In his photo series on unusual museums in the Bergisches Land region, Jens Höhner shows that museum work is often carried out by older people on a voluntary basis with great passion.
Foyer
- Wann sagst du »Wow«? Qualitäten Kultureller Bildung im Alter – Miriam Haller
- Im Sammelfieber. Zu den Fotografien privater Sammlungen im Bergischen Land von Jens Höhner
Salon
- Museen inklusiv, altersfreundlich und barrierefrei. Perspektiven der Vermittlung aus dem Bundesverband Museumspädagogik und dem Museumsdienst Köln – Marion Hesse-Zwillus
- »Eine Spielfläche für alle«. Ein Gespräch mit den Vorsitzenden des Museumsverbands NRW Doreen Mölders und Jens Stöcker
- »Es war wirklich eine Bereicherung!«. Kulturelle Teilhabe älterer, sozial benachteiligter Menschen im Museum – Laura Wehr und Andrea Kenkmann
- »Dass es mir dort schön gefallen hat und alles«. Ältere Menschen mit Lernschwierigkeiten als Zielgruppe in der Museumsarbeit – Dorothee Mammel
- Ein Museum für alle. Partizipatives Museumslabor im Bergischen Museum – Laura Oehms
- Lieblingsstück: Ein Museum im Transportrucksack – Susanne Lenz
- »Mein, dein, unser Kirchner«. Menschen aus Davos kuratieren eine Ausstellung – Sara Smidt
Galerie
- »Kunst tut gut«. Das Künstler*innen-Stipendium der Dr. Dormagen-Guffanti-Stiftung – Isabell Rosenberg
- Im Alter auf dem Kunstmarkt bestehen. Ein Gespräch mit Marlena Vaccaro, Kuratorin der New Yorker Carter Burden Gallery für Künstler*innen über 60
Lounge
- Einrichtungstipp: BelevenisTafel – Christoph Brammertz
- Ausstellungstipp: Die Maison Nationale des Artistes – Miriam Haller