With her estate, Professor Evamarie Sander (1928–2023) has left an extraordinary legacy to the University of Tübingen Museum (MUT). At her house in Unterjesingen, she spent many years thoroughly documenting and cataloguing her possessions. As the last member of a bourgeois family whose history can be traced back to the seventeenth century, she saw it as her duty to record and publish her family’s memories and cultural heritage for future generations – a task undertaken by the Museum and the Archive of the University of Tübingen. The resulting “Sammlung Sander” (Sander Collection), comprising a database and a publication, includes, amongst other things, furniture, household items, personal objects, archival material and scholarly/academic documents dating back as far as 1738.
After studying agriculture in Bonn, Evamarie Sander’s career path took her via Ohio State University (M.Sc.) and Cornell University (Ph.D.) to Tübingen. In 1970, she became the first female professor in the Faculty of Science and had a lasting impact on research and teaching in plant pathology.
This exhibition invites visitors to explore the “Sammlung Sander” both as a testament to an extraordinary individual and her family, and as the outcome of curatorial and scholarly engagement. It offers two perspectives on the collection, reflected in the spatial design: In the reconstructed Biedermeier room, visitors can experience how Sander organised, presented, and made her collection accessible to guests during her lifetime. The outer area reflects the scholarly analysis and handling of her legacy; it sheds light on questions that arose during the cataloguing, research and museum presentation of the collection.
The entire project – including cataloguing and inventorying, scholarly work/academic research, publication and this exhibition – was generously funded by the Evamarie Sander Foundation.
Evamarie Sander’s Biedermeier Room played an important role in her life—not least because of its long history. The ensemble of furniture and stove came into the family as a wedding gift in 1820 and remained in their possession for over two centuries. Many of the objects she displayed also evoke family memories and bourgeois domestic culture. Others tell stories of Sander’s voyages, her career, or everyday life. Thus, the Biedermeier room brings together personal memories, family history, and the bourgeois way of life.This reconstruction deliberately follows Sander’s arrangement—from the dining table to decorative objects and table linens—and reveals her approach to preserving, remembering, and presenting these items.
UAT 827/2,1; 827/4,1 and 827/244, reproductions of letters from Evamarie to her father Gerhardt Sander dated 28 May 1956, 3 February 1958 and 21 June 1965
Father, brother and sister spent many years apart but maintained a lively correspondence. The letters from her years in the USA in the 1950s provide an insight into her studies, the culture she encountered and the inner life of the young woman at the start of her academic career.
Ohio in a bag
Inv. no. MUT-Sr-122, kept in the Biedermeier Room
Insects preserved in a plastic bag bear witness to the hygienic conditions on a farm in Ohio that Evamarie Sander called home for a few weeks in 1953. Fleas “in huge numbers in the beds” made even sleeping a nightmare. This dried sample thus becomes a symbol of the obstacles Sander had to overcome before she found stability as a scholarship student at Ohio State University.
Staged table culture in the Sander household
Inv. no. MUT-Sr-262 to -267, -274, -294, -305 to -310, -314, -315, -317 to -327 and -943 to -947, kept in the Biedermeier Room
Silver tableware and cutlery by Georg Bormann and Rosenthal porcelain – part of her mother’s trousseau from 1927 – point to bourgeois tradition and origins. The careful coordination of tableware and decoration not only structured the evening, but also guided the conversations among guests. Sander’s festive invitations provided the setting in which this table culture unfolded.
Inv. no. MUT-Sr-797, kept in the bedroom
For her first visit to the opera in 1938, ten year old Evamarie received this little handbag as a gift from her father. He chose a fashionable evening bag of the time with petit point embroidery. Being carried over the wrist as was customary implied grace and elegance – and adulthood. Although frequently used, it is in excellent condition. “Even my father already recognised my preference for tiny handbags.”
Inv. no. MUT-Sr-128, kept in the Biedermeier Room
The complete series on the theme “From Grandmother’s poetry album” dates from 1983 and is presumably the only industrially manufactured mass product in the collection. Its significance for Sander therefore lies not in its cultural historical value, but in her fondness for nostalgic motifs. She probably encountered the Swiss phenomenon of collecting coffee cream lids during stays in the Engadin.
Indispensable and widely recognised
Inv. no. MUT-Sr-362, kept in the cellar
Combined with a brown checked hat, pigskin gloves and a Hermès scarf, this coat was “indispensable” for decades and was worn often because it could be worn over every outfit. Sander noted that former doctoral students recognised her clothing again even after many years.
Maya figurine fragments from Mexico
Inv. no. MUT-Sr-69, -70 and -71, kept in the Biedermeier Room
After completing her PhD in 1958, Sander travelled with a friend to Mexico, to the ruins of Chichén Itzá. On this journey she not only met again a suitor from an earlier time, but also found herself confronted with a stone jaguar. Although Sander had a pronounced interest in foreign cultures, objects such as these primarily served as starting points for humorous travel anecdotes.
The family focal point
Inv. no. MUT-Sr-387, kept in the Biedermeier Room
With its Classicist formal language, the stove integrates harmoniously into the Biedermeier ensemble from 1820, whose preservation was of particular importance to Sander. In winter, after Sunday church services, the family gathered around the stove, so that it not only provided warmth but also became a place of intergenerational memory.
A souvenir from Scandinavia
Inv. no. MUT-Sr-45, kept in the Biedermeier Room
In addition to idiomatic expressions from the countries she visited, Sander acquired this keepsake from the Royal Copenhagen manufactory during a study trip in 1950. It belongs to the design series “Blå Blomst flettet”, in German “Blaue Blume, geflochten” (Blue flower, plaited), and served her on special occasions as an elegant ambassador of Danish culture in everyday life.
Lived values
Inv. no. MUT-Sr-252, kept in the Biedermeier Room
This figurine of a young ballerina with a voluminous crinoline skirt in a Neo Biedermeier style belonged to the maternal Dunkel side of the family. The porcelain dancer was produced by the Aelteste Volkstedter porcelain manufactory. As a symbol of grace, physical discipline and a love of dance, the figurine was a cherished decoration in Sander’s room. During evening gatherings, this and other porcelain figurines also served as conversation starters.
Inv. no. MUT-Sr-360, kept in the bedroom
Evamarie Sander had this red suit tailored around 1960 and, like other suits of similar style, wore it for special occasions. The buttons were said to have been acquired by her brother from the Navajo in the USA. To match the suit she bought herself a burgundy handbag.
Sander deliberately wore skirts or dresses, for “there are enough trousers walking around on campus as it is.”
“Frederick the Great versus Maria Theresa”
Inv. no. MUT-Sr-137, kept in the Green Room (ground floor)
The two sides are represented by the Prussian king and the Austrian empress as major figures of the eighteenth century. Some of the pieces carved by the grandfather are modelled on Sander’s family members. One knight was probably lost during the Second World War. As a link between European and family history, the chess set formed the centrepiece of a display case.
Inv. no. MUT-Sr-498 and -661, kept in the bedroom
Sander kept items for festive occasions in boxes and bags. In the finding aid entitled “Ballgeflüster” (“Ball Whispers”) she documented, among other things, her numerous gloves – including this summery pair. Alongside all kinds of gloves, her Hermès scarf accompanied her for many years and thus became part of her personal style.
A mandatory element of a well groomed appearance
Inv. no. MUT-Sr-829 and -848, kept in the bedroom
Sander always placed great importance on a representative outward appearance. Even in a wheelchair, at the age of 89, she was always seen wearing a necklace. On special occasions she wore the pendant she called the “family spotlight”, and in everyday life she often wore her pearl necklace.
Legacy and obligation
Inv. no. MUT-Sr-908 and -909, kept in the bedroom
Engraved on the inside of the bracelet, a replica of the grave find of a Salian nobleman, is the twenty fifth anniversary of the engagement of Sander’s aunt; Evamarie inherited the piece in 1936. Upon reaching adulthood in 1949, Sander received the signet ring with the family coat of arms, which she wore every day.
As the last link in the family chain, she felt obliged to organise the estate, true to her father’s words: “The quality of a chain is revealed in its clasp.”
with original Biedermeier shellac and secret compartment
Inv. no. MUT-Sr-352, kept in the Biedermeier Room
The writing desk forms part of the Biedermeier room whose furnishings entered the family as a wedding gift in 1820. Like all the furniture, the desk combines artisanal design with practical utility and family memory. With its polished surfaces it served on the one hand for representation, and on the other for storing everyday objects.
Inv. no. MUT-Sr-93, -94 and -95, kept in the Biedermeier Room
The casts of the Great Seal of the University, the Rectorate Seal and the Seal of the Faculty of Philosophy came into Sander’s possession in 1977, on the occasion of the university’s five hundredth anniversary. They stand as examples of a centuries long tradition of institutional self representation. Ironically, the seal of Sander’s own Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences is missing.
Inv. no. MUT-Sr-353, kept in the Biedermeier Room
Harmonised stylistically with the other furniture, these family heirlooms were intended to be used in everyday life but also preserved. Accordingly, the sofa is in very good condition, yet shows traces of use. In addition to her appreciation of craftsmanship, Sander associated the maritime ornamentation with one of her father’s stories. According to this, after his aircraft was shot down in the war, he was carried to shore by dolphins.
Creative teaching
Inv. no. MUT-Sr-647 to -657, kept in the Blue Room
From 1970 onwards, Evamarie Sander crafted her own models of icosahedral viruses for teaching purposes. It was of great importance to her to characterise plant viruses with scientific accuracy and to make them visually accessible to her students. Her materials included colourful wooden beads, cardboard, knitting needles, wine corks, dental wire and clothesline. As in her scientific work, Sander proved inventive and creative here as well.
Eye catcher and room divider
Inv. no. MUT-Sr-679 and -680, kept in the Garden/Biedermeier Room
The frog green ensemble of three bentwood chairs and two round tables marked, as an eye catcher, the transition from the garden room to the staged Biedermeier room and at the same time served as a reception area for Sander’s guests.
Forms of address: Sticking with “Sie”
Evamarie Sander describes how the tone at the university shifted after 1968 from the formal “Sie” to the informal “Du” – and why she herself consciously continued to use the formal “Sie”.
Sander and virology
Sander recounts how she found her way into plant virology and that she had already been fascinated by this field since childhood.
Taking on an estate involves more than simply preserving objects. It requires decisions about what can be collected, documented, researched, and permanently preserved. In this process, the wishes and vision of the donor meet the capabilities and requirements of the museum and archive.While working on the “Sander Collection”, questions arose that concern both museological and ethical dimensions. Together with students from the Museum & Collections (MuSa) master’s profile line, we explored these topics. They are brought to life in the outer area through objects and archival materials.This exhibition offers insights into the work on the estate and illustrates that collecting, preserving, and exhibiting are not neutral processes. They are based on decisions that determine how the past is documented, researched, and remembered.
According to Evamarie Sander’s memories, objects were assigned to specific geographic regions and countries. Jewellery and vessels are described, for example, as originating from Zimbabwe, Mexico or the Philippines. Information on the acquisition ranges from surprisingly accurate to remarkably vague and even contradictory. The sources within the estate are therefore heterogeneous and partly inconsistent. The woven bamboo basket (MUT‑Sr‑200), which Sander describes as being from the Philippines, was in fact purchased in a Chinese department store in Singapore.
Objects from private estates might be relevant for research, enrich collections or simply be rare and valuable. However, museums usually have limited resources, meaning they can only accept items that can be preserved long-term and appropriately.Sander’s bicycle, which she used to travel to Great Britain and Scandinavia in 1950, holds great personal significance for her, symbolising her independence as a young woman. Hence, we deliberately decided to preserve and display it.
The way a person is remembered is open to interpretation and often diverges from the roles attributed to them. As the first female professor in the Faculty of Science, Sander was seen as a feminist figure, a role which she herself rejected. At the same time, she was strongly committed to supporting her students regardless of gender and was active in the then Zonta Club for Women. Today this may appear contradictory, yet it highlights how a woman who was successful in her professional life positioned herself in a male-dominated field while retaining a bourgeois understanding of gender roles.
The European tendency to label people from other cultures as “exotic” has shaped collecting traditions ever since the colonial era. In that process, people and their ways of life were reduced to simplified and hierarchical ideas of the “Other”. It is all too easy to overlook this political dimension amidst the fascination of an individual collector such as Sander.Even in her work, one finds, for example, a sugar hammer or jewellery “of the Tuareg”, which must be interpreted critically.
Memories of personal experiences do not remain static, but change as a result of new experiences and social influences. Personal accounts of one’s experiences must therefore always be considered within their context.Thus, in more recent interviews, Sander‘s memories differ significantly from the letters she wrote to her father at the time. She kept the piece of shrapnel on display as a symbol of her family. Although they were not considered to be "war-minded", they regarded it as an honour to have fought for their homeland.
Not all donated objects can be included in an exhibition or collection. Often, the donor’s aspirations are at odds with a lack of human and financial resources. This discrepancy raises ethical questions. The exhibition’s design is based on the fundamental concept that Sander herself devised during her lifetime: to preserve her academic and private estate, as well as her bourgeois family heritage. Her initial wish to turn her entire house into a walk‑through museum, however, could not be realised. Instead, we chose to create a 360-degree digital exhibition of her house.
Selecting which objects to preserve and display is subjective and depends on the values and preferences of curators. The aim here is to portray the person as realistically and multifacetedly as possible. Evamarie Sander owned a large collection of hats, which she cherished and carefully maintained. This exhibition presents hats from various eras, styles, colours and materials. Above all, they represent Sander’s interest in fashion.
Everyone views things from their perspective, ascribing a corresponding meaning to them and producing their own criteria of order. In archival and museum contexts, treasured estate memories may be reorganised, thereby changing their meaning. In her inventories, Sander described the origins and contexts of her possessions – or how she wanted them to be seen. The trunk on display, originally a piece of luggage, was used by Sander for storing her personal souvenirs; here we use it to present toys.
Objects influence which aspects of a person are shown. By displaying, concealing or emphasising certain items, different impressions of a person can be created.Evamarie Sander placed her specialist and academic literature in plain view on the shelves in her home, whilst keeping her light fiction in a windowless cabinet. For the exhibition, we have chosen to deliberately break down this division.
Estates are sometimes already compiled, organised and contextualised by the donors themselves. This individual shaping meets the museum’s scholarly aims such as reflection and critical analysis.
Evamarie Sander also ‘pre-curated’ her estate. In her inventories, she identified the objects for the future ‘Sander Collection’ and their significance. The exhibition and publication are therefore strongly influenced by her own interpretation. To make both levels visible in the exhibition, we have opted for a dual structure.
