In this site we are going to inform you on the exhibition at the archaelogical museum Robertinum in Halle during the “Night of the Museums 2009″.

In the Archaeological Museum of our University, the Robertinum in Halle, we first presented our “museum in waiting” (http://www.altertum.uni-halle.de/) offered to support our plan to open an own museum by doing an exhibition. This museum is one of only two in Germany which “survived” World War II. The university wished to say thanks to Felix Count von Luckner and to our society representing the Count now.

The exhibition got opened on April 25 – only for one night.

The press got informed, and we among others asked the people of Halle for help.

As you will know in 1977 von Luckners home was marauded by the communists and they threw many things simply away – a shame! But some people had the chance to save several things. So we got a framed picture of the Norwegian Queen. This picture was used as part of the camouflage of the “Seeadler”, which seemed to be the Norwegian ship “Irma” for the British officers who inspected the ship. The picture we now nad for our exhibition was placed in the saloon of the “Seeadler”. Natives from the South Sea brought the picture from the wreck of the “Seeadler” at Mopelia and gave it to the Count in 1937 when he came back with the yacht “Seeteufel”. Von Luckner brought the picture Halle, and there it almost got lost – almost, now we could show it to the public. We hope to be able to purchase the picture later on for your museum.

And many others gave us loans for that night. Even we ourselves were surprised about the result, please note, that we only had a short time to prepare the whole issue. The Robertinum  provided a big room inside the house to present the items of our archive. Believe it or not: we could not show everything we have got. So we do not have to be afraid of opening a museum. If someone decides to offer a room or more, we will be able to show enough “stuff”.

We had professional help of the staff of Robertinum, and we wish especially say thank to Dr. Stefan Lehmann and Henryk Löhr for their wonderful help.

We were able to present things we had with us in showcases (vitrines), which were more than 100 years old and the old house – a museum itself – gave a unique brightness to our exhibition.

About 500 visitors came to look at the “Museum in Waiting”. All had warm words for our plans. Long after midnight we got all our things back to our archive.

Thanks to all, who helped in preparing the exhibition and to those who decided to loan items to us.

All in all the “Night of the Museums 2009″ was a milestone of the Felix Count von Luckner Society.