What remains. Evamarie Sander's Life, Family and Academic Work
The exhibition presents a multitude of objects from the personal estate of Evamarie Sander (1928–2023), a plant pathologist and the first female professor at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Tübingen. The exhibition brings Sander's world to life within the museum while asking what remains of a life when it is recounted primarily through objects. The contextual section surrounding the core of the exhibition encourages visitors to reflect how they would approach their own estate by posing reflective questions.
Evamarie Sander
Evamarie Sander (1928–2023) was a phytopathologist and the first female professor at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Tübingen. As a researcher
and academic teacher, she shaped the development of plant virology over many decades and influenced generations of students.
The Sander project
Following Sander’s passing, her academic and personal estate was bequeathed to the MUT and the Tübingen University Archives. It comprises her academic and personal estate, including furniture, everyday objects, academic and private literature, correspondence, photo albums, films, jewellery, clothing, art, and ethnographic objects. Since 2024, the MUT has
been cataloguing Evamarie Sander’s estate as part of a multi-year project: The objects are being examined at the museum, conserved and transferred to the “Sander Collection”.
In cooperation with the University’s Portrait Collection, the Institute of Musicology and the Ludwig Uhland Institute of Historical and Cultural Anthropology, the University Archives of
Tübingen are complementing this by processing the written documents.
360° view of Evamarie Sander's house
In this digital 360° view you are free to explore Evamarie Sander's house in Unterjesingen as it was handed over to the university in 2023. Many of the objects on display in the exhibition can be seen there in their original locations.
The Sander project
On the following dates, students who have participated in the praxis seminars on the exhibition project and the accompanying publication will be offering one-hour guided tours of the special exhibition.
August 23rd, 12 p.m.
August 30th, 12 p.m.
September 3rd, 4 p.m.
September 6th, 12 p.m.
September 13th, 12 p.m.
September 24th, 4 p.m.
October 8th, 4 p.m.
No booking is required. Please await the start of the tour at the museum ticket office with a valid admission ticket.
Publication
The richly illustrated exhibition catalogue is dedicated to the legacy of Evamarie Sander, offering a comprehensive insight into the diverse estate of herself, her family, and her research.
Ernst Seidl, Lucas Rau und Teresa Pohl (edd.), Was bleibt. Evamarie Sanders Leben, Familie und Wissenschaft (Schriften des Museums der Universität Tübingen MUT, 33), Tübingen 2026; 375 pages with over 250 colour illustrations throughout; ISBN 978-3-949680-16-8
Vernissage
July 23rd, 2026, 7 pm
Castle Church | Hohentübingen Castle
Burgsteige 11 | 72070 Tübingen
Programme
Greeting
Professor Dr. Karla Pollmann
President of the University of Tübingen
Introduction/Moderation
Professor Dr. Ernst Seidl
On a longstanding friendship
Claudia Schöning-Kalender
The estate, the project and the exhibition
Lucas Rau, Teresa Pohl
