THE KELLERS MINDE MUSEUM - THE KELLER INSTITUTIONS
Since 1899, Brejning has been marked by the Keller Institution, which was the largest institution for the care of the mentally disabled until its closure in 1990. The beautiful buildings testify to a unique piece of Danish history, which can be experienced at the volunteer-run museum Kellers Minde, located in one of the former institution buildings. At the museum, you can gain insight into a different time and a different world, reflecting on both past and present views on humanity.
The museum houses artifacts that tell the story of the buildings and the history of the residents. Restraint devices, intelligence tests, and illustrative pictures explain the categorization of the mentally disabled, as the patients were called before World War II. Medical instruments and equipment tell the story of the sterilization of the mentally disabled to prevent them from having offspring, but also of doctors who sought to cure developmental disabilities, tuberculosis, and other diseases. Poems, paintings, and tools show how the residents learned trades, had leisure activities, and developed through engagement. The photographs on the walls tell their own story of the institution and its residents' history.
The museum is housed in a former hospital building from the 1960s. The building was part of the institution's expansions in the 1960s and 1970s, which also included several group homes for the developmentally disabled who lived at the institution.
In connection with the institution's gradual closure, artifacts used in the care and treatment of the mentally disabled were collected, resulting in the historical collection, Kellers Minde.
Find opening hours, admission prices, and much more information on the website: www.kellersminde.dk.
