Nostalgic narratives extend to products of popular, consumption, nutritional and object culture. Contemporary lifestyles are shaped by the longing for a revival of past realities. This becomes apparent in the form of 80s theme parties, 60s retro looks or mid-century vintage furniture. Even though nostalgia is a deeply subjective sensation, collective reminiscence creates connections across generations.

Which biographical and symbolic meanings does nostalgic yearning have in our every-day life? Can this longing be understood as permanent forms of cultural criticism?

These questions are addressed in this project exposition created by students of European Ethnology as part of a seminars led by Jana Paulina Lobe in the winter term of 2025/26. It includes nostalgic objects from the students' living environment with the goal of encouraging reflection and discussion. The exposition can be visited free of charge in the hallway of the U5, on the third floor. (21.05.26 - 10.07.26)

Exhibition as part of the seminar “Material Culture in the Museum - Collection, Research, and Preservation between Theory and Practice, using the Upper Palatinate Folklore Museum as an Example” in the Oberpf?lzer Volkskundemuseum.

In the exhibition “HUH - Objects from the Collection” ("H?? Sachen aus der Sammlung"), university students present selected objects they discovered in the museum's holdings and tell their stories. The approach is deliberately unusual: just as the course offered a look behind the scenes of the museum, the exhibition also opens up new, unconventional perspectives. It reveals how much thought lies behind the often brief exhibition texts and the potential for insight that even seemingly random finds can hold for our everyday culture and history. 

From April 26, 2026 onward

Catholic Theology

• “Imperial Robes Through the Ages - Gold Embroidered Enactment of the Past” (Bamberg Diocesan Museum)
• Schnütgen Museum
• “Tolerant rather than ignorant”
• “G*d m/f/d Gender Variability Since Biblical Times”
• “Perspectives on anti-muslim racism”

European Ethnology

• “Kellerkommando & Rohrfrei - Ethnomusicological Interviews on the Transfer of Traditional Music into the Present”
• “Water is Life. The Handling of a Natural Resource as Intangible Cultural Heritage”