Sampler Museum at Celle - Paradise Closes 1 March 2013

Now is the time - until the end of February - to book your tickets to Celle and see the fabulous sampler museum there before the doors close finally on 1 March 2013. This is an unspeakably sad occasion. Lorraine Mootz who has been Docent with the museum for a number of years tells me: Until Thursday before Christmas, there were plans that the Sampler Museum (along with two other smaller Celle museums) would be relocated in another large historic building on the outskirts of Celle's Old Town. Unfortunately in a last-minute change due to the necessity of large budget cuts, the financing of the project was suprisingly rejected by the Celle city council. That was done during a 5-hour meeting on December 20st. The reduced number of visitors to the museum played a part in their decision. In the two years during which the Bomann Museum has run the Sampler Museum, there has been little activity on the public relations front. Some people even thought the museum was closed which it most certainly was not. In case you know of anyone who wants to make a quick last-minute visit to the Sampler Museum, it is open normally in January and February, that is, the museum is closed on Mondays and Fridays but open the other five days of the week from 10am until 5pm. It is closed for a short lunch break from 1-1:30. The spending cuts around the world are having huge knock-on effects, particularly with respect to civic provisions such as libraries and museums and I am being told of closures or threats of closure too often. But I think now is the time to say thank you to everyone who has kept this wonderful sampler collection available for public view for so long. And a very special thank you to Lorraine for being such a tireless, inspiring and dedicated ambassador.