Communication is a topic that occupies us in some form or another every day. In the past few months in particular, digital communication has played a huge role in all of our lives - showing us just how important face-to-face communication is. However, the Museum für Kommunikation in Frankfurt proves that the topic can also be curious, unusual and extremely entertaining by taking a look at the collection of the Museum Foundation Post and Telecommunications - one of the world's largest collections on the topic of communication. For around 150 years, objects have been collected there that document the historical development of post and telecommunications as well as the multifaceted manifestations of communication. It is therefore not surprising that over the course of time, a number of curiosities have come together that surprise us with their unusual use, an unusual story or a special design - a telephone in the shape of a shower head, for example, or a beer mat that was sent as a postcard. The current exhibition at the MfK is dedicated to precisely these special objects and in doing so also explores the question of how, why and for whom museums actually collect.
Many of the objects on display are typical of the respective common forms of exchanging messages at different times. They tell of creativity and wit, sometimes also of need and want. They show the variety of things and ways that technicians, inventors and laymen developed to deliver messages. The exhibition is divided into six thematic areas: "It can be done differently", "Uniqueness in series", "Self-made", "On the road", "Against the rules" and "Technology that inspires? Exhibits from all of the collection's locations, different eras and contexts are brought together. One thing is guaranteed: There is plenty here to amaze and to laugh at - but at the same time to admire creativity and ingenuity.
This special show is effectively the starting signal for the anniversary year 2022: "With this exhibition we are heralding the coming anniversary year," explains Dr. Helmut Gold, Director of the Museum für Kommunikation. Helmut Gold, director of the Museum für Kommunikation Frankfurt and head (curator) of the Museum Foundation Post and Telecommunications, and he adds: "In 2022, the Museum Foundation for Post and Telecommunications will celebrate 150 years of collecting. Our collections date back to the founding of the Reichspostmuseum in Berlin in 1872. The Reichspostmuseum was one of the first and most modern technical history museums in the world. Today, our collections face completely new challenges. The main focus of our collection work is on the question: How can we link historical contexts with contemporary processes in order to offer guidance in the present and the future? With 'Curious Communication' we cast an unusual spotlight on the field of collecting work."
Opening Hours: Tue-Fri 11am-6pm, Sat + Sun 11am-1pm
Admission: €6, concessions €4, 6-17 years €1.50
