Image: Horst Janssen Museum, Oldenburg
Ulli Lust will read from the first volume of her graphic nonfiction work ‘Die Frau als Mensch. Am Anfang der Geschichte’ at the Horst-Janssen-Museum in Oldenburg on 8 October 2026. The reading and conversation will focus on the research behind the book, representations of women in history and the lives of women in prehistoric societies. The event begins at 6:30 p.m., with admission from 6 p.m.
The book examines the way the Stone Age is commonly depicted. According to the museum’s event description, books about prehistory predominantly show men hunting, shaping flint or painting in caves. Yet many of the surviving representations made by Ice Age people themselves depict women. Lust’s reading will be followed by a discussion of what these images can reveal about the societies that produced them and the place of women within those communities.
The programme describes ‘Die Frau als Mensch. Am Anfang der Geschichte’ as a Sachcomic, or nonfiction comic, and identifies the event as a reading from its first volume. The work received the German Nonfiction Prize in 2025. The museum’s announcement also frames the discussion around Lust’s research process and the continuing interest in the history of women.
The event forms part of the Horst-Janssen-Museum’s programme of readings, talks, guided tours and workshops. The museum is dedicated to drawing and graphic art and presents a permanent exhibition devoted to Horst Janssen, whose work is also explored through public tours and educational programmes. In autumn 2026, its schedule includes events on photography, family engagement and the museum’s temporary exhibition ‘What Is the Truth and Where Did It Go? Von Menschen und Maschinen’, which brings new textile works by Andrea Ziegler into dialogue with selected works by Janssen.
The Ulli Lust programme is separate from the museum’s exhibition tours and from its other discussion series. It is listed under the institution’s programme of guided tours and lectures, alongside activities including a public tour in German Sign Language and talks addressing questions of truth, technology and society. The reading’s subject instead centres on prehistoric women, historical images and the methods used to investigate them.
Tickets for the event cost €10, with reduced admission of €8. It will take place at the Horst-Janssen-Museum, Am Stadtmuseum 4–8, 26121 Oldenburg. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
