Gifts from around the World (exhibition 2024)

The student exhibition project in the AfK module Knowledge Transfer: Exhibition Practice under the direction of Dr. Alissa Theiss and Prof. Dr. Cornelia Weber was presented from July 19 to August 30, 2024 in the Rector's Room of the main university building.

Participants: Beyza Basaran, Liv Behrens, Luana Celentani, Evelyn Fröhlich, Jana Hammer, Lena Heinstadt, Lea Jainta, Daniel Kauffeld, Emma-Marie Magiera, Natalie Rempel, Fabian Seelbach, Justin Seib, Noa-Kristin Strunk, Noah Leander Tigges

 

Catalog for the exhibition
Gifts from around the World. JLU as an International Partner

 

 

Overview of the exhibition panels 

 

• Background of the exhibition
• The act of giving
• International relations
• Focus region of Eastern Europe

 

 

Background of the exhibition

 

University gifts are a special type of collection. The diplomatic or 'guest' gifts are presented on the occasion of anniversaries or during visits from other academic institutions. They document the universities' international relations. JLU has a
rich collection of gifts, which until recently was not systematically documented and is little known to the public.

The collection of University gifts was first processed in a seminar starting in October 2023 under the direction of Prof. Dr. Cornelia Weber and Dr. Alissa Theiss by students from different subjects.

At that time, the gifts were neither centrally stored nor inventoried. Therefore, the work began from scratch. The participants rediscovered the gifts, brought them together from different storage locations, inventoried, researched, and described
the objects.

The results of this work laid the foundation for the preparation of the exhibition Gifts from around the World—JLU as an International Partner, which students designed and carried out in an additional seminar starting in April 2024. During the course, the students learned all of the necessary work steps needed to hold an exhibition.

After the preparatory work the students carried out additional research into the individual gifts. Then they selected the exhibits in order to present as broad a
spectrum of guest gifts and countries as possible. In the next step, the students wrote the exhibition texts and a group responsible for the layout created the design. The aim of the exhibition is to show the diverse international connections of the JLU, which are reflected in the guest gifts, and to give a small insight into the spectrum of diplomatic gifts, which range from rather inexpensive mass-produced
goods to high-quality, custom-made items.

Funding from JLU's Third Mission fund supported the implementation of this exhibition

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The act of giving

 

Why do we give gifts?

 

JLU has more than 100 formal agreements for partnerships, cooperative programs, and exchanges worldwide, which offer students and academics a wide range of exchange opportunities. Exchanging gifts also plays an important role in
this.

The history of gift giving is diverse and anchored in all cultures, as the French sociologist and ethnologist Marcel Mauss (1872-1950) pointed out in his fundamental study on the exchange of gifts. In archaic societies, gifts played a major role in building and maintaining relationships and thus kept the peace and prevented wars. Gifts were therefore diplomatic means. Not much has changed to this day. Diplomatie gifts serve to strengthen political relationships, as gift giving promotes a sense of community and mutual appreciation. Although gift giving initially appears altruistic, it is an exchange that is based on a balance of giving and receiving.

A gift requires a gift in return. Giving is therefore a performative act that is intended to maintain social balance. Psychologically, the act of giving creates a connection between those involved. Every gift also symbolically contains a part of the giver.

Gift giving therefore serves to maintain relationships and political, social, and emotional ties. 

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Gift packaging—the art of wrapping

 

Some of JLU's guest gifts come in attractively designed boxes and packages, which not only serve to store the gifts, but also to present them effectively. These boxes vary in their appearance and material: from colorful patterned silks to soft velvet. Gift wrapping is a tradition that aims to enhance the value of the gift and present it
appropriately. The materials used for gift wrapping can vary greatly, e.g. textiles, paper, foil, or boxes. Since wrapping paper is mass produced, it has become particularly popular. The Japanese art of Furoshiki, in which gifts are wrapped in fabric, is a good example of how the wrapping technique can enhance the value of a gift. Beautiful packaging emphasizes the appreciation of the recipient. As a rule, the packaging gives no indication of the contents. This increases the excitement and anticipation of unwrapping the gift. The packaging not only draws attention to the wrapped object, but also emphasizes the act of gift giving itself. The box or the wrapping paper emphasizes the performative act of gift giving and the associated wrapping and unwrapping.

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International relations

 

Justus Liebig University (JLU) has many international connections. This is reflected in the more than 100 formal agreements for partnerships, cooperative programs, and exchanges worldwide. Of the current 25,700 students, 3,100 come from abroad, i.e. more than 10 percent. There are also many international doctoral students and guest researchers. JLU has five strategic partner regions: Australia, Europe (with a focus on Eastern Europe), Colombia, Southern Africa, and Wisconsin (USA) and four external representations in Australia, Colombia, Poland, and Ukraine. JLU's diverse international relations are also mirrored in the gifts received on the occasion of anniversaries or during visits from other academic institutions.

JLU is also a founding member of the alliance European University for Peace, Justice, and lnclusive Societies (EUPeace), which started in 2023. The consortium consists of nine universities in seven countries. EUPeace's mission is to provide tomorrow's citizens with the skills, knowledge, and
experience to cultivate peace, justice, and inclusive societies.

The exchange of gifts as a sign of mutual appreciation has played an important role in the preservation of peace for thousands of years.

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Focus region of Eastern Europe

 

The numerous gifts from Eastern Europe on display in this exhibition reflect JLU’s partnerships with universities in this region. Some of these connections were established during the Cold War. The cooperation agreement with the University of Iași in Romania has been in place since 1976. The partnership with the University of Łódź in Poland has existed since 1978.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, JLU entered into additional collaborations with universities in Eastern Europe and also intensified intra-German links with universities in the former GDR, as the medal from Friedrich Schiller University Jena shows. The institutional links to Eastern Europe are particularly important for the subject of Eastern European History at JLU and the Giessen Center for Eastern European Studies, founded in 2006, which brings together research and teaching on Eastern Europe in the humanities within the federal state of Hessen. Research and teaching on cultures and societies in Eastern Europe in the past and present are front and center.

Partnership agreements are always of a political nature. Since the Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022, collaborations with universities in Russia are no longer active. This also applies to the partnership with the University of Kazan, which had existed since November 1989.

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