Stadtmuseum Oldenburg – Short Guide

Three historical villas, connected to one another, form the heart of the premises containing the “Stadtmuseum Oldenburg”. Two of these were inherited in 1914 by Theodor Francksen, art lover, collector and patron of the arts. Much of the property still remains today exactly as Francksen furnished and left it behind. The fascinating private character of the rooms was to be preserved for the visitor of today. The sometimes very small rooms are fully furnished and decorated in the style of past epochs. In order not to destroy the impression one has that the man of the house has only just left it himself, the walls were not to have explanatory plaques on them.
The task at hand, therefore, was to develop a guided tour through the building that acted as orientation for the visitor, while providing more in-depth information on the rooms as well as about furniture and other objects. A high-quality brochure was put together in a convenient A6 format and it was filled with narrative texts that enticed the visitor to read more at home.
The visual language used in the brochure was afforded special significance. The images used focus strongly on individual details in the rooms or on artefacts. They were intended to encourage the reader to look more closely and, to a certain extent, to encourage him or her to seek out the object shown among the many items on exhibition.