Hugenottenmuseum Berlin — Attraction in Berlin

Me and my mother, we are both Huguenots, went into the Huguenot Museum of the French Church of Berlin on 31st August 2023, not knowing what to be expected and what they would exhibit about our people. Yet, to our own surprise, we were more than amazed by the entire museum. At first, I want to write that the staff is very friendly and can speak German, obviously, and fluent English too. The museum itself, which is divided into two levels, connected via a stairway, is rather small and I’d say we have been in there for “just” 25 minutes. Yet, it is extremely beautiful and with a lot of information about our people and their history as well. The information on the tablets is only in German language, which was no problem for me and my mother, being German native speakers, but as we Huguenots have spread throughout the world and speak many different languages today, depending on where we live, I think it would be nice if the museum could add English information to every exhibited object.

I also need to confess that while going through this really beautiful museum, I have felt a lot of grief and anger. Of course, not because of the museum itself, but because of how it was able to finally teach me about what cruel times my ancestors had to go through and how many of them have been tortured and killed by the French in the most extreme way, which I was not even able to imagine. I already knew of course that those times were absolutely inhuman for our people, but I never was capable of really knowing about the many and gruesome details, which all changed on the day me and my mother went into this very museum. For example, I was furious inside myself when I have seen the coin on level two, on which Karl IX. depicted himself as Herakles killing the Hydra, as we Huguenots are meant to be the Hydra and therefore are depicted as being an evil monster. At the same time, the depiction of a naked Huguenot female being burned alive almost invoked tears in my eyes. So, if you are a Huguenot yourself, please be advised that what you can see and learn in this museum, if you haven’t already known about the extremely cruel massacres and hunts that took place against our people, could possibly invoke deep feelings inside your heart and maybe even make you burst out into tears. I was capable to evade that, although there were moments when I was standing at the brink of it, yet I would not be surprised if other brothers and sisters of our faith would be less capable of shutting down their emotions, when they have to face the ultimate truth about what our ancestors had to go through and how much they have actually suffered in every single detail.

Yet, at the same time this museum can fill your Huguenot heart with pride, knowing that our ancestors have stood loyal to our faith and that they have been able to find a new home throughout Germany, especially in the northeast, successfully integrating themselves, giving a very important example for today’s times of how integration and dealing with refugees can be solved successfully and profitable for both sides, if they are actually willing to work together on a mutual basis. Therefore, if you are a Huguenot and find yourself in Berlin, you just have to visit the Huguenot Museum in the French Church, because you will not be wrong in doing so.

I have taken the pictures during my and my mother’s visit on 31st...

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