Aufheben, Wegwerfen

What makes the allure of the objects we surround ourselves with? What happens to them after we take possession of them? And how does the relationship between things and their observers change over time? They sit on our desks or on our nightstands. We hang them on the wall or carry them discreetly in our pockets: these very personal items. Whether we call them amulets, talismans, or keepsakes, they accompany us wherever we stay for a while. We create small private altars for them and find them beautiful - but what does that mean? And where does the magic that these personal objects exert on us come from?

"Keeping, Throwing Away" traces the history of our lucky charms and souvenirs from the living rooms of the 21st century back to the material culture of the Middle Ages with its magical stones, images, and rosaries. In the affluent industrial societies of modernity, personal possessions have also exploded in number. They fill our basements, attics, and closets to such an extent that sometimes we wish to get rid of them and dream of a life with very few things, the right, important ones. It would be more ecologically sensible anyway - but is that possible? An essay about beautiful everyday objects, about magic, guilt, the utopia of radical reduction, and daily chaos.