Pleasing visitor numbers: "Rastatt Congress" in the City Museum was very well received

It was the last major exhibition project of the recently retired director of the City Museum, Iris Baumgärtner, and at the same time an ambitious one: for the first time ever, a comprehensive monographic special exhibition was dedicated to the so-called Rastatt Congress, which met in the Residenzschloss from 1797 to 1799. The congress, which had the goal of determining the regulations of the Peace of Campo Formio after the First Coalition War with France, has not yet received much attention in modern research literature. Thus, a lot of scientific pioneering and source work had to be done for the museum presentation. The exhibition will now end on September 24. It is already clear that the exhibition was a success.

Already the exhibition opening in November 2022 with a ceremonial act in St. Alexander was a great success with more than 200 visitors. The curiosity of the visitors did not diminish in the following months. On the one hand, exciting exhibits from lenders from Germany and France attracted visitors. On the other hand, the exhibition was flanked by a rich accompanying program with top-class lectures. For example, the exciting lecture by Prof. Dr. Daniela Neri-Ultsch, which took place in the beautiful rooms of the Historical Library, enjoyed a large number of interested listeners. The lecture focused on the strategies and tactics of the political envoys of the Rastatt Congress. Notwithstanding the failure of the peace negotiations, Franco-German policy in the following century was shaped by some of the decisions of the Rastatt Congress. Other lectures on individual aspects of the Congress of Rastatt were also very well received by the visitors. For example, Jort Blazejewski, M.A., illustrated the importance of the Rastatt Congress Police, who had their hands full during the Rastatt Congress to ensure peace and order in the baroque city. In addition, cultural life flourished in Rastatt during the congress, about which Dr. Rüdiger Thomsen-Fürst gave a vivid lecture. Singing, playing and dancing became popular pastimes for the envoys and their families. The court theater in the castle offered a sufficient cultural program from French spoken theater to the Opéra comique.

In addition to the public themed and curatorial tours, there was a lively demand for individually booked tours of the exhibition. Vogel's House, which houses the City Museum, welcomed almost 3,000 visitors during the exhibition period.

On Sunday, September 24, 2023, there will be the last opportunity to visit the exhibition on this exciting chapter of Rastatt's history. At 3:00 p.m., a curator's tour will then also be offered for the last time. City archivist Oliver Fieg will use numerous exhibits and interesting stories to show how Rastatt became the center of political events during a difficult period.

Participation in the tour is free of charge, admission to the museum is payable. Registration is not required. For more information, call 07222 972-8401 or visit the website at www.stadtmuseum-rastatt.de.