In the 16th century, the Reformation shaped a Christian belief system that, unlike Catholicism, reduced or completely removed images from sacred spaces. The regions of Westphalia emerged from the Reformation with different denominations: while the Bishopric of Paderborn remained largely Catholic, Lippe became Reformed, with the exception of the Lutheran city of Lemgo. Accordingly, the museum presents objects from a variety of religious denominations.
The harp picture or lamella picture showing Luther, Calvin, and Gustav Vasa is a unique and rare type of wall decoration once common in Protestant homes.
A mezuzah is an elongated wooden capsule containing a piece of parchment with a Hebrew text written on it. The lines of the “Shema Yisrael” remind people of the Jewish faith to be God-fearing and contain the commandment to always speak of God’s deeds.
In Jewish households, the mezuzah is attached to the doorframe of the home. The capsule is believed to have a protective function.
A mezuzah also belonged to the Uhlmann family, who lived in Ovenhausen until their deportation in 1941. Their house was brought to the LWL-Museum Hellerlecht in 2007. It is the only Jewish residential building in a German open-air museum.
