EVA HIRSCHI “People don’t like to talk about it,” says Carmen Simon, manager of the Chüechlihus Regional Museum in Langnau im Emmental (canton of Berne), “but there is nothing new about museums having to dispose of objects”. This should not really be a surprise, because no museum can continue collecting ad infinitum. Particularly at a regional museum like the Chüechlihus, where the vast majority of items have been donated, there may be more than one version of the same object. Or some artefacts may be damaged. And one day there will be no more space. Simon, 37, took over management of the museum in 2021. “Careful curating not only involves building your collections, but reducing them too,” she says. Museums must review their inventories on a regular basis and dispense with individual items where necessary. This is called deaccessioning. A novel idea The Chüechlihus in Langnau, one of Switzerland’s biggest regional museums, has a novel take on this process. In a project unique in Europe, if not the world, the local population can decide which items the museum should give away and what should happen to them. “We believe the people of the Emmental Valley should have a say in what happens to their cultural heritage,” says Simon. The municipal council agrees. “No museum needs 20 walking sticks and 12 spinning wheels in its collection,” says Martin Lehmann, the culture officer in Langnau. “The more we talked How to declutter a museum From hats, to shirt collars, to braces – locals in the Emmental Valley have been given the opportunity to decide which artefacts their regional museum should discard and what should happen to these items thereafter. This pioneering project has democratised a process common to every museum: deaccessioning, or the permanent removal of artefacts. about it, the more obvious that became.” In consultation with a dedicated committee, the museum initially got rid of over 2,000 textiles – from top hats, nightshirts and aprons, to shirt collars, folk costumes and scarves. In addition to museum, local authority and political representatives, five randomly chosen members of the public from Langnau sit on the committee. They include 36-year-old Jacqueline Maurer. “I immediately agreed to join,” she says. “It’s exciting to be part of this process.” The committee met to discuss which items were to be discarded. All citizens of Langnau – living inside or outside the municipality – were able to add their voices by voting online at www.entsammeln.ch. All the objects in question were photographed and displayed on the museum website. They are also displayed in the top floor of the museum and can be viewed by anyone – QR codes contain descriptions of each individual item. “The idea is that the local people become actively involved,” says Simon. “Unlike in other museums, they can even handle the objects if they wish. This further increases their sense of engagement.” Initial scepticism This democratic process has also attracted dissent. “Many in the museum community were initially sceptical,” says Simon, whose tactic to counteract any misgivings was full disclosure, with the entire process clearly documented on the museum website. According to the International Council of Museums guidelines, From antique furniture, to traditional textiles, to heirloom crockery – everything must go. Photos: Andreas Reber (left), Eva Hirschi (right) Swiss Review / August 2023 / No.4 13
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