Stiftung Übersee-Museum

The Übersee-Museum Bremen is a public law foundation that combines the disciplines of natural history, ethnology, and trade under one roof. With around 1.2 million objects in its collections, it is one of the major museums in Germany. It offers its visitors insights into global natural, cultural, and trade contexts through varied permanent and special exhibitions and sees itself as an educational and meeting place for diverse target groups. The museum promotes research and education as well as critical engagement with its colonial heritage.

Diversity is THE theme of the Übersee-Museum: the diversity of life, coexistence, and perspectives on our world. To contribute our part to the preservation of this diversity, we collect and safeguard natural and cultural heritage for the future. Our work in research, exhibition, and education is based on our collections. Therefore, contemporary global issues, questions concerning non-European natural environments and cultures, Bremen’s economic contexts, and trade relations are at the core of our focus. We look to the future without losing sight of our past. Hence, we critically engage with the history and origins of our collections. Cooperation and exchange with the people from the societies from which our collections originate are particularly important to us. Our work is characterized by interdisciplinarity, collaboration, and curiosity about the world. We aim to inspire our visitors both on-site and online with our enthusiasm for the diversity of the world and to make the Übersee-Museum an inspiring and fascinating place of encounter and social exchange.

The offerings of the Übersee-Museum are aimed at families and children (including museum programs and guided tours), school classes and kindergartens (educational formats), adults and seniors (lectures, special exhibitions, workshops), researchers and students (research projects, provenance research), national and international communities (participation and cooperation projects), as well as tourist visitors (approximately 50% of the audience).