Exhibition
25 October 2024 to 15 June 2025
Museum of Hessian History

With a showcase of the Collection of Astronomy and Physics, Hessen Kassel Heritage is presenting masterpieces from the collection in the Museum of Hessian History from 23 October 2024 to 15 June 2025. The small but exquisite special exhibition “Making good use of time: works of art for timekeeping” shows how mechanical clocks were used in the historical context and to demonstrate princely power. A particular highlight is the film installations, where visitors can gain an insight into the workings of pocket watches and their mechanisms.

Mechanical clocks as a coveted status symbol

Since their invention in the late 13th century, mechanical clocks have been regarded as a coveted status symbol. They combine unlimited possibilities for a decorative design on the outside with technical sophistication and inventiveness on the inside. The metrological value of clocks in general only became established gradually when scientific curiousity challenged clockmakers to increase the accuracy of the mechanisms.

In the 16th century, Kassel made a particular contribution to this technical development: from 1560, the “astronomer landgrave” William IV (1532 – 1592) worked with excellent clockmakers such as Jost Bürgi from Switzerland to refine the technology of clocks to such an extent that they could be used as scientific timepieces, accurate to the minute, in the landgrave’s observatory. In around 1600, this was regarded as a utopia because of the proverbial inaccuracy of mechanical clocks.

After the devastating Thirty Years War, Landgrave Charles (1653 – 1730) continued the tradition started by William IV of procuring the most technologically innovative clocks of his era. In 1962, the State Art Collections in Kassel acquired the Hamburg Observatory’s astronomical clocks from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The world’s pre-eminent collection of clocks and watches in Kassel

Today, the Hessen Kassel Heritage collection of clocks and watches enjoys an excellent national and international reputation. The reason for this are the special exhibits that exemplify a number of important milestones of timekeeping technology and how it developed from 1550 – 1900.

Insights into the exhibition in Kassel

As this exhibition begins, Hessen Kassel Heritage is allowing visitors an insight into the valuable and internationally renowned Collection of Astronomy and Physics in the Museum of Hessian History. Plans are currently underway for an integration into the permanent exhibition of the Museum of Hessian History.

There was originally an exhibition in the Orangery in Kassel. Due to the serious deficiencies of the technical equipment and the overall structural condition of the Orangery, a complete overhaul of the building was unavoidable. Therefore, the Collection of Astronomy and Physics had to move out in 2020.

It has recently been possible to ensure the continued use of part of the building by the planetarium, a restaurant and the existing rented apartments. However, it is no longer possible to operate a museum there because of the existing deficiencies. Hessen Kassel Heritage is currently preparing the large building project that is needed there and is working on getting this taken into account in the Hessian state budget.