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Laughing and thinking: cartoons about women's roles and social issues
The exhibition “First laugh, then think!” at the University of Heidelberg highlights cartoons about women's roles and democracy. Opening: April 23, 2025.
Laughing and thinking: cartoons about women's roles and social issues
On April 23, 2025, the exhibition "First laugh, then think! Caricatures from the Middle East, 1850 to 1940" will open at the University Museum in Heidelberg. This innovative show, which will be on view until October 25, 2025, addresses central social issues that are addressed in cartoons. This includes aspects such as heteronomy, mechanization, traffic, democracy and co-determination. Prof. Dr. Anna Kollatz from the University of Heidelberg highlights the relevance of these topics and emphasizes how satirical representations encourage reflection on political and social debates.
The exhibition is part of the research project "Where is the joke? Caricatures as a sphere of communication in the late and post-Ottoman context". This is jointly conducted by Dr. Veruschka Wagner from the University of Bonn and supported by the Volkswagen Foundation. A particular focus is on the representation of the role of women between tradition and modernity, which impressively reflects the current social discussion about gender roles.
Opening and moderation
The opening event is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the University Museum, Grabengasse 1. In addition to an introductory lecture by Prof. Dr. Katja Patzel-Mattern, curators Anna Kollatz and Veruschka Wagner will also provide insights into the questions and themes of the exhibition.
The cartoons based on the exhibition come from various holdings, including the “Translatio” digitization project of the University of Bonn as well as the Ankara National Library and collections of the University of Heidelberg. This variety of sources enables a comprehensive look at the caricature tradition in the region.
Social issues
In addition to the exhibition in Heidelberg, the issue of women's quotas in leadership positions will be addressed in Brandenburg. In March 2015, the German Bundestag passed a law for a binding 30 percent quota for women in large companies, which came into force on January 1, 2016. However, so far only eight out of 108 large companies have taken action in this regard. The rule is known as the “empty chair rule” because the vacant seats cannot be filled by men.
As part of an exhibition in Brandenburg that presents the work of six cartoonists, attention is being drawn to the current challenges that women face in a humorous way. The focus is on topics such as women in politics, unequal pay, parental benefits and the rights of women who have fled to Germany. It is clear that despite significant progress in women's education and self-confidence, there is still much to be done to achieve gender equality.
Monika von der Lippe, the equal opportunities officer for the state of Brandenburg, underlines the importance of art for the issue of equal rights in her remarks. The historical perspective makes it clear that until 1957 husbands had the sole right to determine their wives and makes it clear how complex the discourse about gender roles and the role of women in society is.
The combination of the exhibition in Heidelberg and the topics from Brandenburg impressively shows how art and satire serve as platforms to address social problems and promote intercultural dialogue. These initiatives are intended to encourage people to think about role models and create a space for open discussion.