DRESDEN.- The Puppentheatersammlung of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD), one of the largest of its kind in the world, will open its doors to the public at its new location on 7 September. With 2,600 square metres of floor space, Kraftwerk Mitte will not only be home to 12,000 marionettes, puppets and other theatre figures, but will also provide space for entire stages and the more than 100,000 items from the Puppentheatersammlung‘s extensive archive.

In future, there will always be two exhibitions that can be visited independently of each other. The permanent exhibition will present highlights from the collection, such as the marionettes designed by the Bauhaus in Weimar or the ‘Hohnsteiner Kasper’, the predecessor of many modern German ‘Kasper’ puppets.

In addition, every autumn will see the start of a new annual exhibition, in which external teams of curators will present the collection and its themes in unusual formats.

The permanent exhibition on the second floor presents the world of puppetry in all its rich diversity: from Kaspertheater (a kind of Punch and Judy) and paper theatre, both of which are part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, to 2,500 objects that make up the world’s largest collection of ‘Theatrum mundi’, a ‘mechanical world theatre’ whose figures and scenery are made of cardboard or tin and attached to rails. The exhibit also includes entire stages, backdrops and technical accessories for puppet theatre, as well as stick puppets, heads and costumes.

Not only does the public get a glimpse behind the scenes, they are also brought into contact with the puppets in a playful way. Exploring, experimenting, asking questions - all of these things are strongly encouraged. Depending on age and interests, visitors can choose between different approaches and levels of detail.

At the end of the tour is the depot, the shrine of the collection. A guardian figure protects the glass entrance, which is framed by display cases with many fascinating objects.

On the first floor, the annual exhibition ‘stages’ a new production every year. Starting with the ‘Kraftwerkfest’ on the first Saturday in September, the changing exhibitions will be there to show the collection in a new light.

The opening event is the immersive and multimedia installation ‘ALTER EGO Raubkopie – Ein multimediales Puppenspiel in drei Räumen’ (ALTER EGO bootleg - A multimedia puppet show in three rooms) by the Berlin group Rimini Protokoll. At the centre of the production is a puppet that looks like Elon Musk. Crafted by the puppet maker Christian Werdin, the initial impression is that of a classic marionette. However, this puppet is controlled by a robot that was specially developed for this exhibition by the students of the Contemporary Puppetry course at the Ernst Busch University of Dramatic Arts in Berlin. The project addresses the themes of manipulation, loss of control and the question of who is actually playing whom. It was sponsored by MUSEIS SAXONICIS USUI – Friends of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen.

The Puppentheatersammlung was founded in 1952 by the Leipzig teacher Otto Link, who also became its first director. The ever-growing collection was initially presented in travelling exhibitions. Then, from 1960 to 2003, the collection was housed in the Hohenhaus in Radebeul near Dresden, and since 2004 in the Garnisonkirche in Äußere Neustadt. Since then, parts of the puppet theatre collection have been regularly shown in special exhibitions at the Jägerhof, the SKD's Museum für Sächsische Volkskunst.

After years of searching, the Puppentheater collection of the SKD found a suitable home in the Kraftwerk Mitte: in 2017, the then Prime Minister Stanislaw Tillich signed the lease between the Free State of Saxony and the municipal utilities company DREWAG (now SachsenEnergie).

The Kraftwerk Mitte Dresden combines museums, galleries, theatres and other cultural institutions. The Puppentheatersammlung is located here, in the immediate vicinity of the tjg. theatre junge generation which has its own puppet theatre section. Ideal conditions for one of the largest puppet theatre collections in the world to establish itself as a centre of excellence for puppet theatre.

Marion Ackermann, Director General of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden: “At last, the Puppentheatersammlung, one of the most important collections of its kind, is once again open to the general public. The collection contains objects of national importance. In addition to marionettes created by the Bauhaus in Weimar, it also presents, for example, ‘Kaspertheater‘ and paper theatre, both of which were declared part of the intangible cultural heritage in 2021. For centuries, puppetry has been a universal, intergenerational genre of great importance to Saxony. The exhibitions also enable people to experience its relevance today, for example the marionette as an avatar. Puppetry is a living art, one which lives from its encounters with all people and all generations.”

Michael Kretschmer, Prime Minister of the Free State of Saxony: “The Puppentheatersammlung is one of the special treasures of the state capital of Dresden and is considered one of the largest collections of its kind in the world. It is something we are proud of. It also serves as a reminder to preserve our Saxon traditions, craftsmanship and culture. I am delighted that this new location for the Puppentheatersammlung is now opening its doors to the public with new exhibitions that will reconnect the people of Saxony with this long-standing tradition. A heartfelt thanks to the committed, creative employees of SKD who are involved in this exciting project.”

Kathi Loch, Director of the Museum of Saxon Folk Art and the Puppet Theatre Collection: “In the new rooms at Kraftwerk Mitte, we can organise and preserve our collection according to modern museum standards while at the same time presenting it to the public in a very direct and lively way. Visitors can expect an experience that not only brings them closer to the fascinating world of puppetry. It invites them to find out what the puppets have to say to us and to discover what this art form has to tell us about being human.”