GENIUS, IDOL, STAR

Who is a genius or a star? What is a genius allowed to do? Why do we want to worship?
The exhibition takes visitors on a journey through the heyday of genius worship and the early days of modern star cults between the end of the 18th century and around 1910.
The list of those worshipped during this period, both past and present, is long: Shakespeare, Dürer, Frederick the Great, Napoleon, Goethe, Schiller, Queen Luise, Bismarck, Beethoven, Humboldt, Paganini, Liszt, Schumann, Wagner...
Times of crisis, social change and discontent fostered a longing for strong leaders, saviours and role models. Doubts about religion and the church led to the emergence of "substitute saints" from secular life. It is no coincidence that terms such as idol, icon, fanatical or ecstatic are religious terms that were used in the cult of personality and continue to be used today.
The genius was regarded as a godlike creator, prophet and boundary-breaker, a bringer of values and a driving force in society. Often, he was also a misunderstood martyr, an outsider, sometimes close to madness.
The star embodied some of the characteristics of genius, but had a broader impact and was closer to the public, with greater emotional power. Women also became stars.
Newspapers and magazines, consumer and entertainment culture, new infrastructures and media formed the basis for idols who were often already internationally recognised. Adoration and marketing are evident in early fan merchandise and autographs, in hysteria and rivalries.
Most of the approximately 170 objects come from the GNM's collections. They are supplemented by outstanding loans from the John Neumeier Foundation, Hamburg, the German Theatre Museum, Munich, and other museums and private collections.
The exhibition invites visitors to recognise historical patterns of adoration – and to ask why the cult of genius, star systems and personalisation continue to shape our culture to this day.

Last edited on 23.03.2026