Touching requested!
Similar to the wellknown Museum Cases the Hornemann Institute developed “World Heritage Cases” in collaboration with the Institute for Teacher Training at the University of Hildesheim, the Cathedral Library and the Department of Book and Paper Conservation of the Faculty of Preservation of Cultural Heritage in order to enhance the presentation of the Hildesheim UNESCO World Heritage monuments not only verbally but also with simple objects.
Who doesn’t know this? Guided tours in magazines, museums and churches usually begin with a request not to touch anything. But the desire to touch something for having a better understanding by experiencing with all senses, is a primal need of mankind. But even this legitimate desire is often incompatible with the mission to maintain our heritage and preserve it for other generations.
Therefore, this World Heritage Cases were developed with a variety of materials which can be touched. They particularly allow direct "hands-on" experience, they motivate to intensive looking and understanding and promote activity-oriented learning.
The cases include, depending on the topic, movies, interactive CD-ROMs, Audio-CDs, literature, specially protected original objects, copies and equipment to try out. The objects should appeal to all the senses: aesthetics, taste, hearing and smell. The authenticity of objects is important: some original objects were purchased, some of them come from collections of Hildesheim or are authentic copies manufactured by students of the Faculty of Architecture, Engineering and Conservation at the HAWK.
In addition, the cases contain a detailed handout with factual information and suggestions for lesson planning, photocopying worksheets and templates for laminated pictures.
The cases are suitable for the preparation and follow-up of a visit.
This pedagogic-didactic pre-structured approach is rather seldom in the German cultural scene, schools so far know this only from science textbooks.
Each case is available in several copies. The cases can be borrowed at the Hornemann Institute. There are currently cases on the “Dombibliothek Hildesheim” (Hildesheim Cathedral Library) and St. Michael in Hildesheim.
The Hornemann Institute initiated and coordinated the project as part of its "world heritage education" programme, with its focus on the pedagogic-didactic introduction to the World Heritage of Hildesheim Cathedral and St. Michael’s to inform the public about the threat to cultural heritage and the need to protect it.
This project has been funded by the Alcoa Foundation.
