Set sail and set course for a world full of adventure, danger and myths: our new special exhibition shows the history of piracy from antiquity to the present day - exciting, complex and often surprisingly different from what you might think.
Piracy - a global phenomenon with a history
Wherever there is trade at sea, there is also piracy. Whether in the eastern Mediterranean of antiquity, in the Baltic and North Sea of the Middle Ages or in the Atlantic and Caribbean during the colonial empires - pirates have always exploited weaknesses in state order for their own purposes. Piracy is still a real problem today: modern pirates operate off the coast of Somalia, in the Gulf of Guinea or in the Strait of Malacca.
Golden times for outlaws?
The "golden age of piracy" in the 17th and 18th centuries is particularly notorious. Privateers, buccaneers and adventurers founded entire pirate settlements, especially in the Caribbean. The rules on land did not apply here. For many outcasts, enslaved people and women, piracy offered a new, albeit dangerous, form of freedom.
Legendary figures such as Blackbeard or the Irish pirate Grace O'Malley exemplify the tension between historical facts and romantic glorification. The exhibition asks: What is myth, what is truth?
For the whole family: discover, participate, marvel
Our exhibition is not just for looking at, but also for experiencing:
Hands-on activities for children: making pirate flags, treasure hunts and more
Multimedia stations: Audio contributions, films and interactive information
