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Celebrate in Maria Enzersdorf: 150 years of Steyler Missionaries with a big exhibition!
The Steyler Missionaries are celebrating 150 years with an exhibition about their history and indigenous art in the St. Gabriel Mission House.
Celebrate in Maria Enzersdorf: 150 years of Steyler Missionaries with a big exhibition!
The Steyler Missionaries are celebrating an important anniversary: their 150th anniversary. As part of this special occasion, they are opening an impressive exhibition in the St. Gabriel Mission House in Maria Enzersdorf near Vienna. The show is titled “Bearing Witness to the Light!” and not only conveys the multifaceted history of the international missionary order, but also presents indigenous Christian works of art and ethnographic objects from the house's collection. Provincial Fr. Christian Stranz SVD explains that the exhibition covers a wide range from the founding of the order in 1875 to the current activities of the Steyler missionaries in 76 countries. Highlights include historical audio recordings and films of African-American priests who were ordained priests despite apartheid, as part of the Steyler's commitment to social justice and religious dialogue (KAP).
Research and indigenous rights in focus
In addition to the anniversary exhibition, a second show highlights the groundbreaking expeditions of the missionary and ethnologist Fr. Martin Gusinde SVD 100 years ago. These exhibitions with the title “Danger of Nations?! – No, we are alive!!!” take place in the cloister of the mission house and provide a deeper insight into the lives of the indigenous peoples of Tierra del Fuego, which Gusinde researched between 1918 and 1924. The exhibition presents numerous exhibits from his estate and addresses both his important research work and the current challenges facing indigenous communities (steyler.at).
Particularly exciting is the collaboration with descendants of the Tierra del Fuego peoples, who strengthen the connection to Gusinde's heritage and his critical stance on the social injustices in this region. The show illustrates the fight for survival and resistance of the indigenous peoples and is supplemented with modern multimedia content such as audio stations and digital touchscreens. In this way, the experiences and resistance of these communities are impressively presented, while at the same time the historical legacy of the Steyler missionaries is honored.