Museumsportal Berlin

The store rooms of the Ethnological Museum house close on to 30,000 objects originating from the North American Indians. The exhibition's most important aim is to show an assortment of the abundant holding, which is rich in pieces dating back to the beginning of the 19th century. The main section of the exhibtion is arranged according to five so-called cultural regions: prairie and plains, the south west, California, the north-west coast and the arctic. From each of these regions especially old and valuable collections are on show, the individual exhibits selected with particular focus on their material, economic or ceremonial significance.
At the same time the exhibition tackles the generally held cultural ideas which have profoundly influenced our view of the 'Indian': the clichés about noble and wild savages, Karl May's 'Winnetou' and fairground Indians in Germany among other things.