Schönebeck. The Salzlandmuseum will present more than 6,000 tin figures from the Freundeskreis Zinnfiguren Magdeburg e.V. (Magdeburg Tin Figure Friends Association) and fellow collectors in its new special exhibition "Curse of Gold – Tin Figures Tell the Story of America". Numerous scenes depicting historical events and famous places of worship illustrate how the search for new land, greater riches and, above all, gold led to the destruction and downfall of Native American cultures.
It is about the fateful history of the indigenous cultures of the Aztecs, Maya and Incas. Individual and group figures show the development of these civilisations over a period of more than 30,000 years. Elaborate scenic representations vividly convey the initial settlement, conquest and colonisation of the former "New World". Well-known personalities such as Montezuma, Christopher Columbus, the conquistador Hernán Cortes and the explorer James Cook are delicately handcrafted as classic 30-millimetre pewter figures or fully sculpted large figures. The new special exhibition at the Salzland Museum can be admired from 26 September to 15 February 2026.
Interested parties are also cordially invited to the opening on Friday, 26 September, at 5 p.m. Andrea Nicklisch, curator of the ethnological collection at the Roemer and Pelizaeus Museum in Hildesheim, who provided scientific support to the Salzlandmuseum in developing the exhibition content, will give an introductory lecture on pre-Hispanic cultures in Central and South America. The collectors and creators of the tin figures are also expected to attend. They will be happy to provide information about the production of the figures and the individual themes.
As always, attendance at the opening event is free of charge for visitors and allows them to get to know the Salzland Museum exhibition in a special setting.