Featured - Humor in the collection
On the occasion of Heritage Day 2026, with the theme of humor, we delved into the heritage collection to unlock historical caricatures, mythical creatures, and old jokes. In the collection, we find surprising objects, such as an ingenious propaganda leaflet from after the First World War, an interactive picture postcard, and a satirical medal on which the head of a pope transforms into a devil. In these three short videos, we show how these objects reveal their secrets.
Où est le cinquième cochon (BHSL.HS.III.0023.001483)
This is a propaganda leaflet about the First World War. The reader is given an unusual challenge: Où est le cinquième cochon? Find the fifth pig. When you fold the four pigs together, a fifth pig is revealed: Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany (1859–1941). The emperor is recognisable by the distinctive shape of his moustache.
This crafty caricature remains popular: during the Second World War, versions appeared in which Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) takes the role of the fifth pig, and even today versions exist featuring Vladimir Putin.
'Cure’, Mondorf-les-bains (BIB.VLBL.HFV.M.007.09/01)
This postcard conceals a surprising mechanism. Turn the card over and you see a man eagerly drinking a bottle of Mondorf water. Turn it back and he rushes to the toilet. The message is clear: the water works, but those who overdo it pay the price.
The water of Mondorf-les-Bains was genuinely regarded as a medicine in the nineteenth century. In the 1840s, deep mineral springs were discovered in this Luxembourg village, leading to the establishment of a spa that attracted mainly wealthy tourists. The mineral water was promoted with great seriousness as a remedy, provided it was drunk in moderation.
The interactive card playfully mocks that spa culture. Because those who ignored the advice to drink "in moderation" could experience its powerful effects all too vividly.
Satirical medal - Richard Hans (BRKZ.NUM.007861)
The Council of Trent (1545) was the Catholic Church's response to the Reformation: it reaffirmed Catholic doctrine and introduced reforms. Protestants saw it as a threat and made their feelings clear with satirical medals such as this one.
This silver medal, designed by Hans Reinhard (1510–1581), depicts the pope. Turn it upside down and he transforms into a devil. The reverse shows a cardinal who changes in the same way into a fool. The Latin inscriptions leave nothing to the imagination: “The corrupt church bears the face of the devil” and “Foolish, but sometimes wise”.
The mockery was dangerous, but popular. The double image of pope and devil later appeared on jugs and even on eighteenth century Dutch tobacco boxes, proof of its lasting appeal.