When can the exhibition be visited?

The exhibition is open from October 25, 2026, at 10 AM and runs until February 21, 2027.

What is the entry price?

The regular entry price for adults is 5 Euro. Discounts and other rates can be inquired at the Wendish Museum.

Where does the exhibition take place?

The exhibition takes place at the Wendish Museum Cottbus, specifically Serbski muzej at Mühlenstraße 12, 03046 Cottbus.

What contents does the exhibition show?

A selection of approximately 200 glass negatives by Denis Galloway with motifs from Sorbian-Wendish daily life, including fieldwork, market scenes, portraits, costumes, and weddings are on display.

Is there official information about the exhibition?

Current information is provided on the official website of the Wendish Museum at wendisches-museum.de.

Is the exhibition suitable for photography and cultural history enthusiasts?

Yes. The exhibition combines historical photography, ethnographic documentation, regional cultural history, and aesthetic examination of the works.

Discover Faces of an Era: Historical Photography Preserves Sorbian-Wendish Life Worlds

Name: Denis Galloway – Woblica from the Captured House / Faces of an Era
Start: 2026-10-25T10:00:00+01:00
End: 2027-02-21T17:00:00+01:00
Location: Wendisches Museum Cottbus / Serbski muzej

Faces of an Era: A Photographic Journey in the Sorbian-Wendish Lusatia

The Wendish Museum Cottbus presents Denis Galloway – Woblica from the Captured House / Faces of an Era for the first time a selection of approximately 200 glass negatives by the Scottish ethnographer, photographer, and artist Denis Galloway. The exhibition opens an impressive window into life in Lower Lusatia and the Spreewald between 1908 and 1914.

Photography as Cultural Memory

Galloway's historical images depict fieldwork, market activities, portraits of women and children, as well as significant life events such as weddings. The diverse traditional costumes, which are rarely seen in this authentic form today, appear particularly striking. The faces, gestures, and everyday scenes combine ethnographic precision with a quiet, aesthetic intensity.

Glass Negatives Between Documentation and Photographic Art

The materiality of the glass negatives gives the examination of the works a special depth. Light, contrast, and fine details make historical life worlds visible and turn the exhibition into an artistic experience bridging photography, archives, and memory culture. Denis Galloway's works stand in the tradition of ethnographic photography while simultaneously preserving individual stories.

Insights into Language, Costume, and Daily Life

The exhibition conveys cultural education with a close reference to the regional history of the Sorbs and Wends. The photographs document not only clothing and customs but also social relationships, work environments, and communal rituals. In the Wendish Museum, historical image sources, regional identity, and museum curation enter into a sensitive dialogue.

An Exhibition Under the Sign of European Heritage

The original glass negatives came to the Ethnographic Museum in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in 1950. They were later digitized and made accessible through the online portal Europeana as part of European cultural heritage. In Cottbus, Galloway's Lower Lusatian images can now be seen for the first time in printed form.

Conclusion

Visitors can expect a concentrated aesthetic experience with great cultural-historical significance. Anyone wishing to experience historical photography, Sorbian-Wendish culture, regional memory, and museum work examination should definitely visit this exhibition at the Wendish Museum Cottbus live.