(Note: In response to a sensible request, I am including the calendar date -- from 2014 -- that each day represents in the title to each posting.)
The
City of Frankfurt has a city museum that can best be described as a collection
of various things that don’t necessarily have to do with the city but, in
some cases, were merely collected by people who lived in the city and the
museum acquired the collection. In some ways it is reminiscent of the
Smithsonian Museum of American History about which the New York Times said upon
the reopening of the revamped museum that it was a museum “where individual
objects are so impressive, while the whole is so out of focus.” The
Frankfurt City Museum similarly lacks focus and while a few objects were fun, I
wouldn’t say any were “so impressive.”
As
an example consider this crown, orb, and scepter.
 |
| Replica Crown, Orb, and Scepter |
These
are not even original, but replicas of the German emperor’s insignia of office
(as holder of the “Holy Roman Emperor” title). And the out-of-focus
sign in the background gives the provenance not only of the original insignia
but of these copies. Still, why here in Frankfurt and in the City of
Frankfurt Museum?
What the information doesn't tell you, and you are simply expected to know, was that the election of the Holy Roman Emperor took place in Frankfurt starting in 885 until 1792. The coronation of the Emperor took place starting in 1562 (it previously was in Aachen) again until 1792.
Returning to the lack of focus theme, how about three suits of armor without much more explanation of them or what
they are than the title?
 |
| Suits of Armor |
There
was also a display of about 20 metal masks from suits of armor, and
several swords from a similar period. And while these similar objects
were all displayed next to each other, there still was not much explanation of
what they were (shouldn’t we all know) or why they were here particularly.
And
then, in the next room, was found this.
 |
| Faience Collection |
The
fairly typical albeit large collection of faience is here merely because it is,
as the wall sign indicates, “The Faience Collection of a Manufacturer.”
And if faience isn’t your thing, then maybe butterflies are.
 |
| Butterflies |
Although
the butterflies are mounted in different frames without any discussion of
why each one was in a particular frame or even what kind of butterfly each one
was.
But
the most interesting (to me at least) item in this museum actually had several
connections to Frankfurt. It is this gold renaissance goblet and it
is an original.
 |
| Renaissance Gold Goblet |
What
is interesting about this item is not what it is. Its title is: “Back in
Town - a Renaissance Goblet Made in Frankfurt and Formerly in the Ullmann
Collection.” The goblet made by Hans Knorr, a master goldsmith in
Frankfurt who was awarded the title in 1573 and was one of about 50 goldsmiths
active in Frankfurt during that time. But the last part of the title —
Formerly in the Ullmann Collection — is expanded on in the description of
the item. We learn that the Ullmanns (Albert and Hedwig and their
family) were important art collectors in Frankfurt but “Today the
Ullmann Collection is scattered all over the world. This came about
because when the Nazis finally forced the Ullmanns to leave Germany, sometime
after 1933, they had to pay the Reich emigration tax and similar fees which was
especially onerous on property held by Jews. Hedwig Ullmann had to sell much of her
collection in order to pay the taxes and fees when leaving Germany.” We further
learn, “The small goblet was one of the few objects to remain with her and it
accompanied her on the trip from Germany to Australia.” She died in
Australia in 1945. The museum purchased the goblet in 2012, presumably from Hedwig’s heirs although
we aren’t told.
And
so ended our only full day in Frankfurt.
Tomorrow is a trip to the Jewish Museum and then to South Africa.
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