© Marc Hoscheid
Ever since the representatives of 'The Family of Man' resigned from the National Audiovisual Centre (CNA), fears are circulating that the iconic photo exhibition could be leaving Clervaux.
The photo exhibition ‘The Family of Man’ has been part of Clervaux since 1994, just like the abbey or the castle. In 2003, the exhibition was even recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Every year, thousands of tourists come to Clervaux to see Edward Steichen's work, bringing profit to local hotels, restaurants and shops.
However, the resignation of those responsible for the exhibition at the CNA a few months ago raises fears that the exhibition could leave Clervaux.
The reason for this is that the employees at the castle who look after the exhibition are openly speaking about a possible relocation. After all, Anke Reitz, the previous manager, was virtually always on site in Clervaux, but the successor is expected to work primarily at the CNA's headquarters in Dudelange.
Gilles Zeimet has been Director of the CNA since last year and emphasises that the fears in Clervaux are unjustified. After Anke Reitz's departure, however, they wanted to reorganise themselves more generally.
"It is important to us that the site is no longer dependent on individual people. Our goal was to make it more sustainable. Number one, of course, is to find a new person to take care of the content of the exhibition - we have now found one. At the same time, we are also looking for a site manager who will be permanently on site. We are actually strengthening the team in Clervaux and bringing more stability."
Once again, a woman will be in charge of the Family of Man exhibition, but her name will not be announced until early 2025.
As far as the position of Site Manager is concerned, this is currently advertised on the Public Functions job portal and should be filled by the start of the new season on 1 March.
In future, the Family of Man will also be available to the public with its expertise - unlike before. As for a planned audio guide for children, which will be produced by pupils from the international primary school in Reiler, this should also be ready by 1 March.
In addition to the Family of Man exhibition, the state-owned castle also houses a museum dedicated to the Battle of the Bulge, a collection of models depicting Luxembourg’s castles, and several municipal offices. However, the municipality is planning to group its civil servants in one place to improve internal communication.
An annex at Bouvierhaus near the car park at the entrance to the pedestrian zone is under discussion. In this case, the question arises as to what will happen to the premises where the municipality is currently located. The two smaller museums are worried that the CNA will not only want to take over the premises, but the entire castle.
"Clervaux, as a place of the image, is an important hub in the context of the decentralisation of culture, especially from a political and ministerial point of view. And there are still a lot of ideas about how the place can be further valorised. However, little of this has yet been finalised and will only be communicated in the future," responds Gilles Zeimet.
Exactly where the smaller museums could be housed remains unclear. However, it is clear that the future of the Family of Man will remain at Clervaux Castle. It remains to be seen whether the discussions will progress and whether the positive news will finally reach the employees.
Listen to the report in Luxembourgish here:
