Pets Friends Forever Pets and their People

To some people, pets mean everything. They’re a member of the family in their own right, and a silent trusted friend, a natural yet somehow wild creature, right there in the living room or the playroom – or a welcome opportunity to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger. Others are slightly more critical. Pets are just there to compensate for emotional or social problems; some even go so far as to challenge people’s right to breed animals and to lock them up for their own purposes. And then of course there are those who couldn’t care less about pets. But one thing’s for certain: it’s not a niche topic, not by any stretch of the imagination. Indeed, a third of households in Germany are now home to some 30 million dogs, cats, hamsters, and other species.

And now that farm animals and working animals have more or less disappeared from our towns and cities, most people today only have contact with pets. And while these creatures are dearly loved (and at times dominated) by their owners, they also shape their everyday lives in ways that often go unnoticed, even though they have a lasting impact. Pets and their people – the exhibition takes a closer look at the topicality and history of this very special relationship. The backdrop to the exhibition is the conviction that the ways in which people interact with their pets are surprisingly indicative not just of the pet owners themselves, but also of their relationship with other people and with nature itself. Showcased along an entertaining itinerary are numerous fascinating and rare taxidermic preparations, but also historical documents, objects and media from popular culture and the history of people’s everyday lives, not to mention selected contemporary artworks. So, regardless of whether or not they live with pets, visitors to the exhibition are certain to be moved, entertained and inspired – first and foremost to think about their own relationship with their household pet.