When can the exhibition be visited?

The exhibition is open on October 28, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

What is the entrance fee?

The entrance fee is 5 Euros per person.

Where does the exhibition take place?

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

What does the exhibition show?

It displays a selection of around 200 glass negatives by Denis Galloway featuring portraits, traditional costumes, field work, market scenes, and weddings from the Sorbian-Wendish life world.

Are there guided tours or educational offers?

The event entry lists the exhibition as well as guided tours and viewing. Specific dates for tours or workshops are not indicated in the entry.

Is the exhibition suitable for cultural education?

Yes. The photographs provide a vivid access to Sorbian-Wendish language, traditional costumes, customs, everyday history, and regional identity.

Discover Faces of an Era: Historical Photography Preserves Lusatian Cultural History

Name: Denis Galloway – Woblica from the Darkened House / Faces of an Era
Start: 2026-10-28T10:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-10-28T17:00:00+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 for the first time a selection of around 200 glass negatives by the Scottish ethnographer, photographer, and artist Denis Galloway. The exhibition opens an impressive window into the lives of the Sorbs and Wends in Lower Lusatia and the Spreewald between 1908 and 1914.

Glass Negatives as an Archive of Light and Memory

Galloway's historical photographs preserve faces, traditional costumes, work environments, and rituals from a bygone era. Field work, market activities, portraits of women and children, and weddings coalesce into a visual history of culture, where individual life stories and regional identity become directly palpable.

Everyday Life, Traditional Costumes and Lived Identity

The diverse traditional costume variations, scarcely seen in this form today, appear particularly striking. Clothing, body posture, facial expressions, and social relationships become essential carriers of images in the examination of the works. The photography combines ethnographic precision with a sensitive attention to the dignity of the depicted individuals.

Between Photography, Ethnography, and Art History

The exhibition categorizes Galloway's work as a photographic archive and simultaneously as an independent form of visual cultural history. Light, contour, and materiality of the glass negatives create a concentrated exhibition atmosphere. This results in a quiet art experience that combines documentary accuracy with aesthetic perception.

The Wendish Museum as a Place of Cultural Education

At the Wendish Museum, historical image sources, Sorbian-Wendish cultural history, and museum mediation enter into a lively dialogue. The presentation invites visitors to reflect on language, customs, homeland, identity, and the transformation of rural life worlds. The curation makes regional history accessible through concrete faces, garments, and everyday scenes.

A Photographic Time Travel to Lower Lusatia

The original glass negatives were later digitized and made publicly accessible as part of the European cultural heritage. In Cottbus, the Lower Lusatian photographs can for the first time be seen in printed form. Each photograph opens its own visual space and sharpens the perception of the connection between people, landscapes, and cultural heritage.

Conclusion: History Comes to Life in the Image

Denis Galloway – Woblica from the Darkened House / Faces of an Era combines historical photography, ethnography, and memory culture into an intense aesthetic experience. Art enthusiasts, photography fans, and those curious about regional history will experience an exhibition of high cultural historical density. A visit to the Wendish Museum Cottbus is definitely worthwhile, as only the direct examination of the works allows the faces, materials, and life worlds to unfold their full impact.