New presentations in the East Asia exhibition

In our East Asia exhibition, we bring together fascinating family stories in new presentations – from literature and real life. At the center are two classic novels: Cao Xueqin’s Dream of the Red Chamber (ca. 1715 – 1763) from China and Murasaki Shikibu’s Tale of Prince Genji (10th to 11th century) from Japan. Both novels are still extremely popular today and have been repeatedly adapted and reinterpreted – from hanging scrolls painted in the traditional style to television series, manga, anime and video games. We are showing works from the 18th to 20th centuries.

While Cao Xueqin depicts the decline of a family in 17th/18th century Beijing, Prince Genji shows us the turbulent life of a member of the Japanese imperial family, characterized by conflict, love and intrigue.

The family story of Wul-Soung and Erwin Kruse, which focuses on cultural identities and transcultural mediation work, is completely different but just as inspiring. Both acted as important bridge builders between South Korea and Germany. They founded centers of Korean culture in Germany, initiated exchange programs for children and young people with special needs and campaigned for the integration of Korean nurses into the German healthcare system.

These stories from literature and life show how family ties shape people’s destinies.