Exhibition archive

Being a Witness to History? A Memory Lab
September 19, 2024 to May 4, 2025
What does contemporary witnessing mean? 25 Frankfurt residents discussed these questions in the Memory Lab.
The curators: Angela Jannelli, Jasmin Klotz, Gottfried Kößler
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City of women photographers. Frankfurt 1844 - 2024
May 29, 2024 to September 22, 2024
Through the works of around 40 female photographers, the exhibition shows generation-specific themes and photographic genres.
Curators: Katharina Böttger, Dorothee Linnemann, Ulrike May, Christina Ramsch, Bettina Schulte Strathaus
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Democracy: From the promise of equality
May 13, 2023 to August 11, 2024
Based on the achievements of 1848/49, the Stadtlaborant*innen have explored the topic of democracy.
Curators: Susanne Gesser, Ismahan Wayah, Christina Ramsch, Angelina Schaefer
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Metzler 1674-2024: Bankers in Frankfurt
March 8, 2024 to June 23, 2024
The exhibition traces 350 years of company history with objects that have never been shown before.
Curators: Nathalie Angersbach
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Barbara Klemm - Frankfurt Images
November 9, 2023 to April 1, 2024
For the first time, this exhibition presents a large selection of Barbara Klemm's views of Frankfurt.
Curators: Jan Gerchow
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Restitution as an opportunity - Hans Thoma's cycle of seasons from the Villa Ullmann
July 13, 2023 to September 10, 2023
The HMF has succeeded in reuniting the cycle in consultation with the heirs of the Ullmann family.
Curators*: Wolfgang P. Cilleßen
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Inflation 1923 - War, money, trauma
May 3, 2023 to September 10, 2023
The exhibition deals with the experience of inflation around 1923 and leads through the currency reforms of 1948, 1990 and 2001 to the present day.
Curators: Frank Berger
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Collecting in a state of emergency - Corona pop-up exhibition
June 24, 2023 to June 25, 2023
A look back at the pandemic to reflect together on the Corona collection.
Curators*: Nina Gorgus, Dorothee Linnemann, Franziska Mucha
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CityLab City-Views. A subjective cartography of Frankfurt
October 22, 2022 to April 10, 2023
Over 80 city lab assistants have contributed to the exhibition and explored Frankfurt through drawing.
Curators: Katharina Böttger, Susanne Gesser, Ann-Cathrin Agethen, Ilyas Chhima
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Everything is disappearing! Carl Theodor Reiffenstein (1820 - 1893) - pictorial chronicler of Old Frankfurt
November 12, 2022 to March 12, 2023
Carl Theodor Reiffenstein tried to capture the changing cityscape of Frankfurt.
Curators: Wolfgang P. Cilleßen, Aude-Line Schamschula
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Frankfurt and Nazism - A city joins in
December 9, 2021 to September 11, 2022
75 years after the liberation of the city by US troops, the HMF is devoting three formats to the National Socialist era.
Curators*: Benedikt Burkard, Jenny Jung, Jutta Zwilling
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Searching for traces in the present with the Stadtlabor - Frankfurt and National Socialism
December 9, 2021 to September 11, 2022
Frankfurters ask themselves which Frankfurt places or situations remind them personally of National Socialism.
Curators*: Angela Jannelli, Gottfried Kößler, Susanne Thimm, Seçil Yıldırım
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Beautiful orderly world of images - education to look away?
June 2, 2021 to September 11, 2022
Images from the large estate of photographer Otto Emmel show how everyday life under National Socialism was the subject of photography and shaped ideology.
Curators: RAY Fotografieprojekte Frankfurt/Rhine Main
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Prehn's paradise of Paintings
May 20, 2021 to January 16, 2022
The unique collection of paintings of a Frankfurt confectioner of the Goethe era.
Curators: Wolfgang P. Cilleßen, Aude-Line Schamschula
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CityLab Gardening Now!
April 28, 2021 to October 10, 2021
The exhibition was created in collaboration with over 50 gardeners who gave insights into their gardening practice.
The curators: Susanne Gesser, Katharina Böttger
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Urban Green – Frankfurt Gardenlust
March 25, 2021 to October 10, 2021
The exhibition traced the development of parks and green space planning in Frankfurt from the 18th century to the present day.
Curators*: Nina Gorgus, Lisa Voigt
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I Spy with My Little Eye. Racism, resistance and empowerment
October 1, 2020 to March 28, 2021
Stadtlaborant*innen thematize the interaction between colonial past and postcolonial present.
Curators: Susanne Gesser, Puneh Henning, Ismahan Wayah
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Moving Clothes. A fashionable CityLab
May 5, 2020 to August 16, 2020
Ten students explored the concept of "movement" as part of their training as tailors.
Curators: Susanne Gesser, Susanne Thimm
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Clothing in Motion – Women's Fashions after 1850
March 19, 2020 to January 24, 2021
Around 200 exhibits, concentrated on objects from the museum's own textile and fashion collection, were presented.
Curators*: Maren Ch. Härtel, Dorothee Linnemann, Kerstin Kraft, Regina Lösel
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Hardly an ordinary life. Stories of work, migration and family
November 28, 2019 to April 5, 2020
The exhibition focuses on the experiences and memories of migrant workers.
Curators: Angela Jannelli, Puneh Henning, Ismahan Wayah
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Schopenhauer's Frankfurt
October 30, 2019 until October 10, 2021
The biographical cabinet deals with the life and work of the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer.
Curators: Michael Fleiter, Raimund Ziemer
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Masterpieces – On the Craft of Painting
September 12, 2019 to January 19, 2020
The exhibition was dedicated to the topic of artists' social history.
Curators: Wolfgang P. Cilleßen
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How do the people live? With the city lab through the Ernst May estates
May 15, 2019 to October 13, 2019
The Stadtlabor focused on the urban planning program of the time and the New Frankfurt estates.
Curators: Katharina Böttger
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Forgetting – Why We Don't Remember Everything
March 7, 2019 to July 14, 2019
In this exhibition, the museum takes a close look at the topic of forgetting and also reflects on itself.
Curators: Jasmin Alley, Kurt Wettengl
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21 – Memories of Growing Up. Video installation by Mats Staub
November 22, 2018 until April 14, 2019
Swiss artist Mats Staub explores how world history is reflected in personal memories.
Curators: Mats Staub
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Young in Frankfurt
November 22, 2018 to April 14, 2019
In 2018/19, Stadtlabor visited Frankfurt's places of youth and for the first time focused primarily on digital contributions.
Curators: Angela Jannelli, Susanne Gesser
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High Fashion in Lace – Frankfurt Designer Toni Schiesser
November 8, 2018 to September 15, 2019
The museum honors the grande dame of the Frankfurt fashion world with a studio exhibition.
Curators: Maren Ch. Härtel
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Votes for Women – The 100th Anniversary of Women's Suffrage in Germany
August 30, 2018 to January 20, 2019
The anniversary exhibition is about the women who contributed to the introduction of women's suffrage.
Curators: Dorothee Linnemann
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Breakdowns, disasters, apocalypses. Drawings by Kurt Wölbing 1967-1983
June 7, 2018 to September 30, 2018
The HMF presents the estate of Kurt Wölbing in the 13th Collector's Room.
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Legalized Robbery. The Treasury and the Plundering of the Jews in Hesse 1933-1945
May 17, 2018 to October 14, 2018
The exhibition deals with the state expropriation of the Jewish population during National Socialism.
Curators: Angela Jannelli
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bought. collected. looted? Everyday Objects and their Nazi Past
May 17, 2018 to October 14, 2018
The Stadtlabor deals with objects formerly owned by Jews.
Curators: Angela Jannelli
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Of Burghers and Bankers – Paintings of the Gogel and Hauck Families of Frankfurt
November 22, 2017 to May 13, 2018
The Historisches Museum is exhibiting a series of paintings from the private collections of the Gogel and Hauck families together for the first time.
Curators: Wolfgang P. Cilleßen, Gerhard Kölsch
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The Making of HMF – A new museum for Frankfurt
October 7, 2017 to July 15, 2018
The exhibition shows the long journey from the first idea of renewed exhibitions to the completion of the new HMF building.
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The Whispers of the Saalhof
October 7, 2017 to July 15, 2018
A satirical history of the city traces the development of the Saalhof in ten entertaining and pointed audio images.
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Explore Frankfurt Now! Special exhibition in Frankfurt Jetzt!
October 7, 2017 to April 22, 2018
The Stadtlabor exhibition is dedicated to the participatory work process in which the Frankfurt Model was created.
Curators: Erica de Abreu Gonçalves, Katharina Böttger, Aikakerini Dori, Susanne Gesser, Angela Jannelli, Franziska Mucha
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City Lab Collection Check. Collecting migration in a participatory way
October 7, 2017 to February 7, 2018
The Stadtlabor asks which objects reflect the cultural diversity of the city.
Curators: Angela Jannelli
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Thomas Ganter – Man with a Plaid Blanket and Other Perspectives on Life without a Home
June 21, 2017 to October 8, 2017
The painting "Man with a Plaid Blanket" by Thomas Ganter is exhibited in the 13th Collector's Room.
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Filming the city! Film projects about the city
January 25, 2017 to August 30, 2017
In a participatory process, seven films were made about the personal and subjective experience of the city.
Curators: Susanne Gesser, Angela Jannelli, Franziska Mucha, Katharina Böttger, Aikaterini Dori, Érica de Abreu Gonçalves
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Rudi's Pictures - The Seitz Theater Collection
November 17, 2016 to April 24, 2017
The exhibition pays tribute to the theater man Rudi Seitz with a selection of theater and costume designs.
Curators: Anja Fröhlich
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Summer Tour 2016: Exploring Frankfurt
June 26, 2016 to September 17, 2016
The Stadtlabor was on the road with artistic interventions, workshops, city walks and readings.
Curators: Katharina Böttger
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Silk robes and leather jackets – The fashion studio Erika Segel-Reinhardt
July 4, 2015 to October 11, 2015
The exhibition illustrates the restorative and progressive tendencies of women's fashion in the 1950s.
Curators: Maren Ch. Härtel
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My Frankfurt Model 2015
May 1, 2015 to September 30, 2015
A city model measuring over 70 square meters was created for the Historical Museum's new permanent exhibition opening in 2017.
Curators: Susanne Gesser
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A quarter and a whole – CityLab on the move in Gallus
April 24, 2015 to September 6, 2015
The exhibition shows the results of a ten-month collaboration with people from the Gallus district.
Curators: Puneh Henning, Angela Jannelli
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Karsten Bott – Equal Multiples
April 16, 2015 to September 13, 2015
With Karsten Bott, the HMF invited a contemporary artist for an art installation for the first time.
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Gisèle Freund - May 1 1932
January 13, 2015 to May 3, 2015
Gisèle Freund's photographs are unique historical testimonies.
Curators: Martha Caspers
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Captured Images. Science and Propaganda in the First Wold War
September 11, 2014 to May 15, 2015
The exhibition questions the background of photographs showing prisoners of war from North and West Africa.
Curators: Benedikt Burkard
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park in progress. CityLab on the move in the Wallanlagen
May 18, 2014 to September 21, 2014
The interest of the exhibition was to show the ramparts in their context.
Curators: Sonja Thiel
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The Holzhausen. Frankfurt's oldest family
April 10, 2014 to July 27, 2014
The exhibition highlights the social influence of the Holzhausen family in the city of Frankfurt.
Curators: Andreas Hansert
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The New Civic City. The Frankfurt of the architects Burnitz
October 31, 2013 to February 16, 2014
The exhibition offers a differentiated insight into the building history of the 19th century.
Curators: Michael Stöneberg
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Dragutin Trumbetaš: Gastarbeiter (guest workers) in Frankfurt
May 3, 2013 to September 15, 2013
The Frankfurt artist Dragutin Trumbetaš documented the situation of guest workers.
Curators: Angela Jannelli
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G-Town. Ginnheim Living Room
March 24, 2013 to July 4, 2013
In 18 contributions, volunteer co-curators and around 200 contributors showed how they see their district.
Curators: Sonja Thiel, Angela Jannelli
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My Grandparents. A long-term project by Mats Staub
September 12, 2012 to February 24, 2013
A selection of grandparents' stories collected by Mats Staub is presented as an audio exhibition.
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Early Plastics – The Collection of Cultural Scientist Eva Stille
August 18, 2012 to March 31, 2013
The exhibition is dedicated to objects made of plastic from the Eva Stille collection.
Curators: Nina Gorgus, Ursula Kern
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My stadium pool – An exhibition with swimming pool
May 9, 2012 to September 16, 2012
The exhibition tells the story of Frankfurt's oldest open-air swimming pool.
Curators: Sonja Thiel, Angela Jannelli, Katja Weber
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The Third World in World War II – A Forgotten Chapter of History
September 27, 2012 to April 7, 2013
The exhibition commemorates the devastation of large parts of the Third World during the Second World War.
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Treuner's Frankfurt – The Old Town Model of the Historical Museum and its Context
May 17, 2011 to September 30, 2011
In addition to the model of the Old Town, other models, paintings, graphics and photographs are presented.
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OSTEND // OSTANFANG. A district in transition
April 30, 2011 to June 25, 2011
The Stadtlabor project deals with how residents and visitors experience the Ostend.
Curators: Katja Weber
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Abisag Tüllmann (1935–1996). Pictoral reportages and theater photography
November 24, 2010 to March 27, 2011
The HMF exhibited the multifaceted work of the photographic artist Abisag Tüllmann for the first time.
Curators: Martha Caspers, Kristina Lowis, Barbara Lauterbach, Ulrike May
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When (not only) architects can dream... New project ideas for Frankfurt
September 9, 2010 to October 3, 2010
Eleven visions by Frankfurt architects were shown in the exhibition.
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Strangers in Sight. Photo albums from the Second World War
April 15, 2010 to August 29, 2010
The exhibition presents the private photographic history of the Second World War.
Curators: Petra Bopp, Sandra Starke, Jan Gerchow, Martha Caspers
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Frankfurt's Democratic Modernity and Leopold Sonnemann. Jew – Publisher – Politician – Patron of the Arts
October 29, 2009 to February 28, 2010
The museum shows the work of Leopold Sonnemann in all its diversity.
Curators: Jürgen Steen, Anna Schnädelbach, Michael Lenarz
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Peter Struwwel – Heinrich Hoffmann. A Life in Frankfurt, 1809–1894
June 13, 2009 to September 21, 2009
To mark the 200th anniversary of Heinrich Hoffmann's birth, the museum exhibited the lesser-known parts of the author's life.
Curators: Wolfgang P. Cilleßen, Jan Willem Huntebrinker
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Liselotte Strelow (1908-1981) - Retrospective
January 22, 2009 to April 13, 2009
On the occasion of her 100th birthday, the photographer Liselotte Strelow was presented to a broad public.
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The '68ers - Short summer, long effect
May 1, 2008 to August 31, 2008
The controversial '68ers, who were also important for the conception of the museum, are exhibited and shown in their historical relevance.
Curators: Jan Gerchow, Jürgen Steen, Martha Caspers, Felicitas Gürsching, Wolf von Wolzogen
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Frankfurt and the North Pole. Discoverers and explorer in the eternal ice, 1861 – 1931
December 22, 2007 to March 9, 2008
The exhibition deals with the Frankfurt aspect of Arctic exploration.
Curators: Frank Berger
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Change of View. Frankfurt women around 1800
August 23, 2007 to November 25, 2007
The exhibition focused on an epoch which, more than almost any other, presents such a wide variety of female living environments.
Curators: Heidi Blöcher, Wolfgang P. Cilleßen, Henrik Halbleib, Ursula Kern, Patricia Stahl
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From Strangers to Frankfurters – Immigration and Living Together
May 19, 2004 to March 27, 2011
The permanent presentation of the history of migration in Frankfurt was a signal to understand migration as part of the city's history.
Curators: Roland Hoede
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