Reorientation of the Museum for Sepulchral Culture

HÜBNER supports the museum with an annual donation until 2024

Kassel (09/14/2021) A vision is drawing closer: starting in 2023, the Museum for Sepulchral Culture will be redesigned. In addition to the modernization and renovation of the museum, the new concept also includes a fundamental restructuring, expansion and updating of the permanent exhibition, which illuminates the multi-faceted relationship of humans to death. The forward-looking reorientation of the museum is sponsored by the HÜBNER Group.

"Our great thanks go to the HÜBNER Group, which is supporting the Museum for Sepulchral Culture's new concept, scheduled for 2023, with an annual donation until 2024," explains the managing director of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Friedhof und Denkmal e.V. (ARGE) and director of the Museum für Sepulkralkultur Dr. Dirk Pörschmann. "Culture is an important foundation and formative appearance as well as expression of social life. Promoting it is an important concern for us. Especially when it concerns an institution as unique in Germany as the Museum für Sepulkralkultur," says Gerald Steinhoff, commercial director of the HÜBNER Group. For years, the company has supported selected nationwide and international projects in the fields of education, social welfare and culture.

50% or €7 million of the funds required for this conversion will be provided by the federal government. In addition, the city of Kassel has also pledged budget funds and the state of Hesse also intends to contribute to the costs. Finally, more than €200,000 will have to be financed by own funds (sponsoring and donations). To raise these funds, the Museum für Sepulkralkultur relies on support from private donations and corporate sponsorship. "The content and structural foundations of the museum need to be updated in order to be able to reflect the current scientific and social status quo and to make the museum's various departments fit for the future. With the promised donation, HÜBNER is making a great start here," says Pörschmann, explaining the plans. "We are delighted to support this important cultural project and to accompany the museum on its journey towards a forward-looking reorientation," adds Steinhoff.

The renovation is scheduled to begin as soon as funding is fully secured. During the modernization and renovation phase, the museum is expected to close in 2024 and 2025, with a view to celebrating its reopening in 2026. At that time, it will continue to educate the public about the social consensus on how to deal with dying, death, and mourning, and especially about legitimate conflicts. After three decades, however, it is time to revise the permanent exhibition. After all, it should reflect the current state of social discourse and current scientific research.

For this purpose, it is necessary to show the related cultural-historical backgrounds and changes and to relate them to the background of migration-related and demographic changes in society as well as ethical, sociological, medical, sociopsychological, theological and scientific developments in dealing with dying and death. Important for this is the cooperation with educational institutions, associations, societies, religious communities, foundations and social initiatives. "Together we can strengthen the museum as a platform for all social groups for whom a comprehensive examination of the topics of dying, death, burial, mourning and commemoration is central," says Pörschmann.

HÜBNER Group

As a global system provider for the mobility sector, for industry, life sciences and science, the HÜBNER Group is a world leader in transition systems for buses and rail vehicles (Mobility), is a recognized specialist for sophisticated solutions and products made of elastomers, insulation and composite materials (Material Solutions), and is a supplier for applications in laser and terahertz technology (Photonics). In total, the company employs more than 3,500 people worldwide. In addition to its headquarters in Kassel, HÜBNER has established more than 30 locations around the globe in recent years and decades.

www.hubner-group.com