PotzBlitz! From the Curse of the Pharaoh to Hate Speech

August 11th 2022 to January 29th 2023

We all do it every day, or at least occasionally: swearing and cursing. Curses and expletives have existed in all the world’s languages since the beginning of time. The exhibition “Potz Blitz! From Pharaoh’s Curse to Hate Speech” explores this linguistic phenomenon in an entertaining way. Curator Rolf-Bernhard Essig, who conceived and curated the show, asks about the origins of curses and swearing in magic, history and religion.

The exhibition covers a wide range of topics, from the Bible to letters of abuse to internet trolls and hate speech in the present. A weighty motive for using curses and invective is the desire to break linguistic taboos. The phenomenon of warding off curses, for example by wearing amulets or by legal sanctions such as curse bans, also plays a role. The theme is present in very many areas of everyday human life, including politics, gender relations, driving or the football stadium. Historical objects, media stations and hands-on activities show that swearing and cursing are constant and living elements of all human communication.