An insane king, a freedom-loving queen and a personal physician who wants to revolutionise the Danish state - they become the protagonists of one of the biggest political scandals of the 18th century. The special exhibition ‘London - Copenhagen - Celle’ is dedicated to this ‘Struensee Affair’ and the life of the Danish Queen Caroline Matilda.
Johann Friedrich Struensee, German Enlightenment philosopher and physician, became personal physician to the Danish king in 1769. His influence on the weak monarch seemed to give him the opportunity to revolutionise the Danish state in the spirit of the Enlightenment. However, he failed due to the resistance of the old elites and his affair with Queen Caroline Matilda was his undoing. Struensee was executed in Copenhagen in 1772. Caroline Matilda spent the last three years of her life in exile in Celle Castle, where she died on 10 May 1775 at the age of just 23.
The ‘Struensee Affair’ took place at a time of upheaval, on the threshold between absolutism and the Enlightenment. It had highly explosive political consequences and great personal tragedy. Caroline Matilda's story allows us to trace the questions of the early Enlightenment and find links to our present, which is also characterised by upheavals - including the negotiation of gender roles or the impact of fake news. With a view to the past, the exhibition poses contemporary questions about personal fulfilment, dealing with change and the success of reforms.
Museum events during the anniversary year
(programme subject to change):
| 10. May |
Opening of the special exhibition with public programme in the afternoon
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| 11. May |
Author Talk with Karoline Stjernfelt (English language) on her Graphic Novels "Tomorrow will be better"
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| 07.–09. June |
Castle Festival ‘Hygge’ in and around Celle Castle
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| 2. July |
ResidenzKlänge: Hamburger Ratsmusik in Concert
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| 10. July |
Talk with Vanessa Berridge (English language) on Caroline Matilda's childhood in Kew
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| 22. July |
Caroline Matilda's Birthday with a variety of events
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| 12. August |
Lunchtime concert in the Grand Hall
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| 14. August |
Lunchtime concert in the Grand Hall
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| 15. August |
Lunchtime concert in the Grand Hall
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More information coming soon!
The exhibition is part of a city-wide theme year with many other players and events.
The exhibition and accompanying programme are funded by Stiftung Niedersachsen, Kulturstiftung der Länder, Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur, Niedersächsische Sparkassenstiftung, Stiftergemeinschaft der Sparkasse Celle-Gifhorn-Wolfsburg, Landschaft des vormaligen Fürstentums Lüneburg, Museumsverein Celle e.V., the City of Celle and Celle County.