Black Forest Stories

Dark forests, rustic farms, pompom hat and cherry gateau: There’s hardly a German cultural landscape loaded with so many clichés as the Black Forest. Even today it’s a place of yearning and a popular holiday destination. But how did this myth develop? What’s the truth about the stories and fairytales that envelop the region? The Augustinermuseum allows pictures to tell the story.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, artists such as Emil Lugo, Hans Thoma, Wilhelm Hasemann and Curt Liebich were fascinated with the landscape, the people and their traditions. They brought juicy green summer meadows and pine forests covered in deep snow on to their canvases, captured the atmosphere of stormy autumn evenings and sunny spring mornings with their brushes. And of course, the people of the Black Forest: Whether it’s a shepherd boy with cows or a goose girl, a bridal procession to the church or a young man visiting a fortune teller, the work in the watchmaker’s workshop or coffee-table gossip in the parlour – genre scenes give us an insight into the life of previous generations. Faith and superstition, agriculture and innovative craftsmanship,
seclusion and awakening to international trade: A multifaceted picture is created that extends far beyond the clichés.

And today? What role does social media play in the modern continuation of the Black Forest myth? An instagram wall represents a bridge between analogue cultural heritage and digital present day. Using the hashtag #blackforeststories, visitors can post their own Black Forest photos – thereby becoming part of the exhibition themselves.