The Frauenmuseum Hittisau – home to multiple voices and new discoveries

© Frauenmuseum Hittisau / Angela Lamprecht

A women's museum? And one in a rural location? The Frauenmuseum Hittisau in the Bregenzerwald (Austria) shows that both are possible – and have been for over twenty years now. It was the initiative of Elisabeth Stöckler that brought about the founding of the museum in 2000. The Frauenmuseum Hittisau has since shown over forty exhibitions. The focus is on women’s history and culture.

Every woman changes when realizing she has a history.

Gerda Lerner.

Why a women's museum? Museums are not only places to store history and art. They are also – and most importantly – places full of inspiration. Those who decide what is artistically significant, what should be collected, and according to which criteria things should be researched, also decide what can be forgotten, what is irrelevant in historical narrative. For a long time, this included women's history, women's culture, and art by women. Women are present in many museums, especially in historical art collections, but rarely they are present as active participants. Often museums are full of depictions of women, and these are largely determined by the male projection onto women, because it was men who dominated artistic creation for many centuries.

Europeans © Frauenmuseum Hittisau and birthculture. © Frauenmuseum Hittisau / Angela Lamprecht

The Frauenmuseum Hittisau has set itself the task of expanding historical narratives to include aspects that have not or only marginally been researched and documented. It sees itself as a window into the world and deals with topics relating to the history and cultural work of women in different cultures. A critical look at the present and the past always plays a central role. At the same time, the Frauenmuseum Hittisau takes into account the region in which it is located. Therefore, special attention is paid to Bregenzerwald and Vorarlberg women's history.

PROGRAM
The Frauenmuseum Hittisau shows exhibitions that are devoted to topics that are specific to women from cultural, social, art or architectural history. Both regional and international aspects are highlighted. In addition to the exhibitions, the Frauenmuseum Hittisau offers a comprehensive program of individually designed special tours, lectures, workshops, concerts, readings, seminars, and film screenings. The educational program is mixed and offers both adult and child-specific events.

PARTICIPATION AND INCLUSION
The Frauenmuseum Hittisau focuses on participation and inclusion and wants to enable lifelong, cross-generational learning. Culture should be made accessible to everyone regardless of gender, age, ethnic origin, or special needs. Interested members of the public, the respective specialist world and the specifically addressed communities all take part in the development activity in advance of an exhibition projects in order to be able to work out as differentiated and as inclusive views of a topic as possible. Cooperation and networks play an important role in this.

COLLECT, STORE, RESEARCH AND DOCUMENT
The Frauenmuseum Hittisau collects and documents knowledge and objects from the material and immaterial cultures of women. The so-called “displaced collection” documents and researches objects temporarily given to the museum in order to be returned to their original context, enriched with knowledge, memories and new appreciation. This creates long-lasting and sustained connections to the participants involved. Research projects also unravel relationships and discover regularities.

CULTURAL NARRATORS
The Frauenmuseum Hittisau relies on the support of its Cultural Narrators. Women of different ages, different ethnic origins and with different educational backgrounds living in the region form a large part of the museum and come into direct contact with the visitors every day. Their ability to speak is not tied to any academic training or position in the museum. The only requirement is that they have a deep and rounded understanding of the respective topics of the exhibitions and projects. The Cultural Narrators do not have to be empowered by the institution to speak; they empower themselves to do so.

The Frauenmuseum Hittisau uses the term "woman" in the knowledge that it is a construct that serves to maintain social norms. The feminine designation includes all those physical persons who are socially categorised as such or who define themselves as such.