Museums tell exciting stories of the past. They house exciting treasures from the art world, invite visitors to join in discussions, and encourage people to participate and think about the world. Because exhibitions are part of cultural life, they broaden our horizons and are good for soul and spirit, many museums in Lower Saxony make digital exhibitions possible. And even the participation in discussions during visits to events is successful. Here's a guide to Lower Saxony's digital museum landscape: 

1

The Sprengel Museum Hanover

The Sprengel Museum in Hanover relies on videos for art education © adobestock/saiko3p

What the museum offers: On display is international art of the 20th and 21st centuries. The collection ranges from paintings, sculptures and graphics to photographs and newer media. The museum is also home to the Kurt Schwitters Archive, the international research institution dedicated to the famous German Dada artist. 

Here's how you can experience it online: The Sprengel Museum in Hanover has several digital offerings at once. Selected works of art and exhibits are freely accessible in an online collection. Good to know: With the filter option, you can easily search for your favorite artists*. If you don't want to miss out on the spatial and curatorial aspects of a museum visit, you can also view current exhibitions in a 3D simulation. The special: In the exhibition rooms there are icons behind which there are either wall panels about the artworks or short introductory videos. 

Our Tip: Of course, looking at art is nice. But museums are also places of encounter and exchange. That's why we're delighted that the Sprengel Museum is making interaction possible by digitally broadcasting events such as talks, lectures and film screenings. Insights behind the scenes are then available on the usual social media channels. And for those who have missed exhibitions or events, simply take a look at YouTube.

You can access the digital offer here.

2

State Museum Oldenburg

Oldenburg Castle has opened its doors for digital visits © adobestock/sp4764

What the museum offers:  The State Museum of Art and Cultural History is housed in the historic ensemble of the palace, Augusteum and Prinzenpalais. The collection ranges from medieval documents and paintings from the 16th to 18th centuries to works of art and design pieces from the 20th century. 

Here's how you can experience it digitally: The museum is part of the Google Art Project: On the online platform you will find a digital gallery with selected pieces of the art collection. You can "visit" a total of eight exhibitions. Here's how it works: Select an exhibition and click through the collection as you would in a photo book. What's great is that an information panel appears for each photo of the object. Everything is just like in a real museum. 

Our Tip: One of the eight digital exhibitions is a virtual tour through the heart of the historic building ensemble: In 360° you go through the state rooms of the palace. Since it is a photo-realistic simulation, it almost feels as if you are right there. Another advantage: No one runs in front of your feet!

Go to the digital exhibitions here.

3

3Landesmuseen Braunschweig

Whether in 360° or on You-Tube - the digital offering of the Landesmuseum Braunschweig is diverse © adobestock/Martina Berg

What the museum offers: The 3Landesmuseen Braunschweig comprise a historical, a natural history and an art history house. From the living world of dinosaurs to paintings from the Middle Ages and documents from modern times - in their entirety, the 3 state museums make several million years of history come alive. 

Here's how you can experience it digitally: The possibilities of a visual visit are manifold: Via Google Arts & Culture you can take a 360° tour of the Natural History Museum move. Although the tour offers the opportunity to view all objects, the online exhibition Projekt Dino, also on Google Arts & Culture, is more didactically sophisticated. Images, texts and integrated YouTube videos vividly tell the story of an excavation site in the Republic of Niger, where scientists from Braunschweig searched for dinosaur fossils and discovered two new species.

Our Tip: The videos on the YouTube channel of the three national museums are also informative and exciting. There are short films on almost everything you can marvel at in the three museums: a guided tour through the Bird Room of the Natural History Museum, for example, or an explanatory video on food culture in the Middle Ages. The films also encourage visitors to participate and think. There are many DIY workshops (especially great for the younger ones) as well as talks and interviews with the curators and other experts. Those who prefer to consume knowledge via smartphone can simply follow the museum via the usual social media channels.

You can get to the digital presence via Google Arts & Culture here.

You can find all videos on the YouTube channel of the museum

4

Emden Art Gallery

What the museum offers: The Kunsthalle in the seaport city of Emden, donated by Henri Nannen, exhibits art from the modernist period to the present. Highlights of the collection are works by the artist groups "Brücke" and "Der blaue Reiter," which include such renowned artists as Franz Marc, August Macke and Gabriele Münter. However, contemporary artists, such as Gerhard Richter, are also crowd pullers.

This way you can experience the museum digitally: Those who prefer a classic look can take a digital tour of the museum's various exhibitions, which extend over three floors. A practical feature of the 3D animation is that blue illuminated dots keep popping up, concealing audio clips about the works and artists in the exhibitions. You can also find the museum team's favorite works on Instagram & Co.

Our Tip: Since its founding, the museum has been conceived as "a living place of encounter" - and now shows that art education can also succeed online. The Kunsthalle offers a wide range of workshops. In them, artists and experts reveal their tricks of the trade. Children will love the in-house painting school, which is broadcast live to the children's rooms.

You can find the workshop offer here.

And go to the digital tour here.

5

Samson pit

An old transport wagon tells of the long history of the Samson mine © adobestock/irottlaender

What the museum offers: In Sankt Andreasberg in the Upper Harz Mountains near Goslar is the Mining Museum & Adventure Center Grube Samson, which is one of the most important mining monuments in Europe. The special feature: The mine has the last functioning driving art in the world.

And this is how you can experience the museum digitally: The UNESCO World Heritage Site is now freely accessible with a virtual mine tour. In 360°, you can move through the ensemble of buildings from your sofa and relive the 400-year history of silver ore mining. Incidentally, the virtual tour is audio-supported, so visitors can not only see the mine, but also hear it: At the underground sweep wheel, one of the highlights of the museum visit, you can hear the water splashing, and above ground the birds are chirping.

Our Tip: Sometimes they are a bit hidden, but if you look carefully, you will find icons in the digital version of the Samson Pit, behind which there are interesting videos. Just look for movie flaps and click on them!

You can get to the digital mine tour here.

Cover photo: Oldenburg Castle has opened its doors for digital visits © adobestock/sp4764

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