““What is Enlightenment?” asked pastor Johann Friedrich Zöllner in 1783, writing for the Berlinische Monatsschrift. The editors of the monthly magazine put this question to their readers, thus igniting a debate that would shape the course of philosophy. Taking its contradictions and ambivalences into account, the exhibition reveals conflicts over concepts and demands, rather than presenting the Enlightenment as a homogeneous, progressive undertaking. In doing so, it also aims to make clear that the ideas of equality and tolerance prevalent then do not always correspond to those held today and, moreover, were often not implemented in practice. From the search for knowledge and a new understanding of science, debates about religion, the equality and liberty of all humankind, to the demand for civil rights as well as mercantilism and cosmopolitanism – the exhibition will examine this wide range of topics of the so-called “long eighteenth century” from an international perspective. …”
Opening Hours
- daily 10 am to 6 pm
Admission
- Regular admission 7.00 €
- Reduced admission 3.50 €
- up to 18 years admission free
