A Task for Generations

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Behind the Scenes of the Princely Treasury in Darmstadt (Part 2)

The engagement with art and its effects over centuries has fascinated Wolfgang Glüber since his school days, ultimately leading him to study art history. At first, he had no clear career plan. “But I soon realized that collecting and mediating art were what I enjoyed most—and that museums serve as treasuries that make history tangible.” After completing his dissertation, he began looking around, first taking an internship in Darmstadt, followed by a traineeship. Ending up in the decorative arts was no accident: “Objects you can touch have always interested me more than, say, painting.” With such a diverse collection, boredom is never an issue. With its sheer scope, the job of a curator is truly a task for generations. Today, no one is allowed to touch his two favourite objects in the Princely Treasury, but once upon a time they could even move on their own: Hidden in the bases of the two elaborately decorated, shimmering Renaissance drinking automata was a clockwork mechanism. Once wound up, the goddess Diana riding her stag or St. George on his horse would travel across a finely set table. If the figure stopped in front of a guest, they had to remove the figure’s head and drink the wine hidden inside—hence the term “drinking game.”

Previous article in the series:
Behind the Scenes of the Princely Treasury in Darmstadt (Part 1)

Next article in the series:
Behind the Scenes of the Princely Treasury in Darmstadt (Part 3)

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Published on 16.09.2025