Marie Marcks (1922-2014) created her first works for the U.S. Army in Heidelberg. With unmistakable graphic finesse, she later dealt with U.S. foreign policy and central social problems.
We showed a comprehensive review of the diverse and still current life's work of the Heidelberg illustrator and caricaturist.
Our first ever temporary exhibition pays homage to our Center’s namesake. Working with international partners and students from the Julius Springer School, we have put together an exhibition that illustrates Twain’s view of Heidelberg and the German people.
Background
In the spring and summer of 1878, Samuel L. Clemens – better known by his pseudonym of Mark Twain – spent more than three months in Heidelberg. He recorded the stories of his observations and encounters in an extensive travel diary, entitled A Tramp Abroad, which was published in the USA in 1880. In the early 20th century it was also translated into German as Bummel durch Europa.
Twain was already known worldwide as an author and humorist and soon settled in at the city’s most elegant hotel, high above the Castle. He also rented a room to write in, situated on the wooded slopes with a view over the town and the river. During his sojourn he gathered a wealth of impressions and observations as he visited different places in Heidelberg and the surrounding area. Like his daughter, he took German lessons, and he also tried his hand at drawing and painting. He devoted a whole chapter of his book to ‘the awful German language’, to which he and his family nevertheless remained very attached for the rest of their lives.
Apart from the descriptions of the places he visited, Twain used his trip to reflect on the traits and characteristics, real and supposed, of Germans and Americans. His observations, as he holds up a mirror to us, are frequently sarcastic and always very incisive. His style is succinct but never unkind and he became a role model for many contemporary comedians and entertainers.
The exhibition
As we developed our exhibition, we based our work on Twain’s account of his travels, published in A Tramp Abroad. The book consists of scenic collages, and we illustrate some of these through combinations of words, images, and contemporary artifacts that complement each other. They include his visit to the Castle, a fencing duel and a raft trip on the River Neckar. A highlight of the exhibition is a selection of the many drawings and caricatures that appeared in the original edition of Twain’s book.
How the exhibition was developed
The exhibition is the result of an international collaboration between the Mark Twain Center and the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, Connecticut. Twain lived in Hartford for nearly 20 years and had a magnificent house there which is now home to the principal Mark Twain museum. The Museum provided valuable assistance with the content of the exhibition and advised us about some of the key exhibits.
A separate contribution to our exhibition project was made by students from the Julius Springer School in Heidelberg. With the support of the Hopp Foundation for Computer Literacy & Informatics, the participating students from the technical college had the opportunity to spend six months learning about Design Thinking. Through an intensive process of teamwork they developed their own designs for modern exhibition elements.
Thanks to a generous donation from Sparkasse Heidelberg, the group were able to turn their ideas into reality – a treat in store for our visitors!
You can see an impressive result of their work here.
Römerstraße 162
69126 Heidelberg
Phone: 06221 58-34065 (Mo-We: 8.30am to 1pm, Th and Fr 8.30am to 2.30pm)
E-Mail: mark-twain-center@heidelberg.de
