Introduction: Rediscovering Objects from Islamic lands in Enlightenment Europe

The heatedly debated question whether Islam belongs to Europe occupies a central place in current political discourse surrounding the inclusion – or indeed exclusion – of migrants from North Africa, the Near East and elsewhere within the frame of the European Union. Identitarian visions of pan-European traditions and customs, which have Christianity at their heart, are contrasted with the religious background of migrants from predominantly Islamic countries. This carries wide-reaching implications for perceptions of Islamic culture, as distinct from and sometimes even opposed to European culture and heritage. Such a binary opposition leaves little room for the perception of present and historical entanglements. Yet people, thoughts and objects from Islamic lands have formed an integral part of European culture for centuries.