HEROES
Our yearning for the exceptional
Hero of the coal-mining district. Götz George as Tatort detective Horst Schimanski / Photo: WDR/Falke
You see them carved in stone on market squares. They save virtual worlds, smile at us from magazine covers or live next door: Heroes are everywhere, at any time. They’re role models, inspire hope and reflect our longing for something extraordinary. They also change over time: Heroes don’t just appear, they are created and every era has its heroes.
A major special exhibition, Heroes: A yearning for the extraordinary presented by the Westfalen-Lippe regional authority (LWL) takes a closer look at the phenomenon of heroes from the ancient past to the present. What makes someone a hero? What price do they have to pay to become heroes? How and why are heroes created?
Visitors to the LWL Museum of Industry Henrichshütte will encounter heroes from Lara Croft to Ruhr TV cop Horst Schimanski, heroes and heroines from the region and faraway lands as well as their makers, friends and enemies.
The exhibition shows some of the role models that immigrants from 170 nations have brought to the melting pot Ruhr, and which are especially admired here. More than 800 exhibits from around the world provide glances at superheroes and the heroes of war and resistance against tyranny as well as sports and entertainment stars.
Displays, some of which have never been shown to the public, range from an ancient Greek bronze helm to coats of armour and the statue of a socialist labourer couple on loan from Moscow. Visitors can even experience heroes in virtual reality by using interactive multimedia stations - and finally vote for their hero of the day or be hailed as heroes or heroines themselves!
There will also be an extensive and diverse supporting programme in cooperation with art house cinemas, universities and cultural authorities as well as related exhibitions at the LWL Industrial Museum’s seven other sites.
March 12 - October 31, 2010
Tu - Sun 10:00 - 18:00, Fr 10:00 - 21:30
Closed Mondays except for holidays
LWL Museum of Industry Henrichshütte Hattingen
Cooperation partner: LWL Cultural Foundation
You can find further information at the website of
LWL Industrial Museum