03.05.2017 – Prof. em. Dr. Martina Deuchler
"Memories of Korea of Fifty Years Ago:Confucian Ancestral Cult documented in Pictures"
The ancestral cult shaped Korean society for centuries, but only became systematized with the introduction of Neo-Confucianism in the late 14th century. It was an elite ritual - as the performance of specific ritualistic actions at a particular place, the ancestral shrine, not only worshipped the ancestors and asked for their goodwill and protection, but also demonstrated, based on a long lineage, the social position and status of the worshippers itself. Only the male members of a clan assembled in front of the shrine, while the women were tasked with preparing the ritualistic food offerings. Maintenance of the ancestral cult was extremely complex and consumed up to seventy percent of a yearly budget. How will the future of the ancestral cult look in times of economic scarcity and the diffusion of family members in the urban space?Zeit & Ort
03.05.2017 | 18:00 - 20:00
Freie Universität Berlin
Holzlaube R. 2.2059
Fabeckstr. 23/25
14195 Berlin