Kulturland hessen en

Hessen State Ministry of Higher Education, Research and the Arts

Discover Hessen – Land of Art and Culture!

There’s no getting around Hessen! And in particular, when itcomes to culture. By reading this booklet, let yourself be inspiredto encounter art and culture of a country that unites classical and modern arts in a way that is hardly to be found elsewhere,and that is equally keeping its traditions as it is open-minded to the world.

May we invite you to come and see the scenic and historicalattractions, the art treasures in the museums and collections.Theatre, opera, concerts, cabaret, a long and great literary tradition and a modern media location: Come and experienceculture in Hessen!

Welcome to Hessen –

Land of Art and Culture

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Welcome to Hessen –Land of Art and Culture

Published by: The Hessen Ministry of Higher Education, Research and the ArtsRheinstraße 23-2565185 WiesbadenGermanyTel.: 0611/32-32 30

Editors: Saskia PodebradErnst-Rudolf Kächler

Contributing editor: Dr. Brigitte Rechberg

Editorial updates: Dr. Ralf Breyer

Printed by: mww.druck und so … GmbH

Layout: Kirberg Design

Translation: Sarah Zimmer/Regina Stolpe

Cover photo Hessen State Theatre Wiesbaden; photographer: Torsten Krüger

UNESCO Weltkultur- und WeltnaturerbeUNESCO Weltkultur- und Weltnaturerbe

Hessen State Ministry of Higher Education, Research and the Arts

Welcome to Hessen –

Land of Art and Culture

This brochure does not claim to be exhaustive in repre-senting the manifold cultural institutions in Hessen.Same applies for the given links and the information pro-vided thereunder.

www.hessen.dewww.hmwk.hessen.de

www.museen-in-hessen.de/www.theater-index.de www.theaterverzeichnis.dewww.hr-online.de/website/rubriken/kultur/indexwww.hessenweb.dewww.jazzinstitut.dewww.hessen-tourismus.de

The holders of the homepages account for the their contents.

UNESCO Weltkultur- und Weltnaturerbe Contents

Contents

Foreword by the Minister 1

Cosmopolitan Frankfurt 2

UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites 5-14

Palaces, Gardens and Museums 15-56

Theatres, Festivals and Music 57-82

Hessen – Land of Film 83-88

Literature, Archives and Libraries 89-98

Community Art and Culture in the Region 99-102

The Federal Republic of Germany and its States 104

Primary Transportation Routes to Hessen 105

Hessen – a Land of (Pure) Culture 1

Dear readers,

Hessen takes pride inits rich heritage andmanifold cultural andartistic offers. They areof international stand-ing as the UNESCOworld heritage sites,unique in their artisticperformances as themany theatres andorchestras, or they ac-commodate first-rankartworks as the muse-ums. But at the same

time, you find traditional culture deeply rooted in regionaland local areas.

I have the pleasure in inviting you with this brochure to ajourney through Hessen – the land of culture. Find yourpersonal gems in this cultural treasury of Hessen and dis-cover them. Get absorbed by the harmony of landscapeand architectural identity, or enjoy the manifold artisticpresentations. Whether you go for the north, middle orsouth of Hessen – every region has its (cultural) particu-larities all the same worth to be discovered!

In view of the vast variety of places of interest, thisbrochure can only be selective and is far from beingexhaustive. Therefore, we would like to inspire you tostudy the selected examples on the following pages andfind out your own cultural excursions. Join in and you willbe wholeheartedly fascinated by Hessen and its culture!

I hope you find our booklet a stimulating read.

Udo CortsMinister of Higher Education, Research and the ArtsH

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World Cup Brochure – Frankfurt 2 3

Cosmopolitan Frankfurt –Ringside seat to German history, financial centre, cultural gathering place

www.frankfurt.dewww.frankfurt-tourismus.de

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Home to Europe’s largest airport, Frankfurt am Main is, for many travellersfrom all over the world, synonymous with arrival in Germany. It is here thatmany visitors set foot on Hessian or German soil for the first time. In thismetropolis on the Main River they find an enormous wealth of cultural andartistic offerings, an international atmosphere and many opportunities tobecome acquainted with the rustic way of life in Frankfurt and Hessen.

With a population of 650,000, Frankfurt am Main is the largest city inHessen and one that can look back on a long history. Some 2,000 years agothe Romans built a military camp here on a hill overlooking the Main River.In medieval times, its favourable location at the convergence of the Mainand Rhine rivers and at the crossroads of important roads fuelled its growthinto one of the empire’s most important trading centres. Political importancecame hand-in-hand with prosperity: Frankfurt became one of the cities thatelected German kings. Between 855 and 1792, electoral princes chose 32kings here. Ten emperors were crowned in Frankfurt.

UNESCO Weltkultur- und Weltnaturerbe 5 5

UNESCO World Culturaland Natural HeritageSites An honour and an obligation

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However, Frankfurt has also been the source of pace-making impetus formodern democracy. The first German national assembly convened here duringthe Revolution of 1848-49 and Germany’s first liberal, democratic constitutionwas adopted in the city’s famous St. Paul’s Church. Although the constitutionunfortunately never went into force, democratic and republican discussion hasbeen a spirited tradition in this city ever since.

The city has also maintained its traditional role as a financial hub and centrefor trade fairs. Frankfurt shares honours with London as Europe’s most impor-tant banking centre. The Deutsche Bundesbank – Germany’s Central Bank – hasits offices here as does the European Central Bank – a fact that makes for anenormous locational advantage not just for the more than 400 commercialbanks registered here!

Frankfurt the modern business centre has a distinctive skyline that is instant-ly recognizable. This impressive silhouette has been drawn over the years bygreat contemporary architects endeavouring to top one another. Every yearFrankfurt hosts 40 international trade fairs, including the Frankfurt Book Fair –the largest book fair in the world – and the world’s largest consumer goods fairat the foot of Helmut Jahn’s 256-metre Messeturm trade fair tower.

This relatively small metropolis on the Main River is an international cross-roads for cultures, with some 1,250,000 foreigners visiting the city each year.One out of every four Frankfurt residents holds a foreign passport. Eighty-nineconsulates and 300 foreign firms have their offices here. No other city in Ger-many is as international as Frankfurt. It is the ideal meeting place for footballfans from all over the world as well!

UNESCO World Heritage Sites 6 7

Lorsch Abbey

Kloster Lorsch andMuseumszentrum LorschNibelungenstrasse 32 and 3564653 LorschTel.: 06251-10 38 20E-mail: [email protected] hours: Tue -Sun 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Lorsch Abbey with its famous, nearly 1200-year-old King’sHall gate house has been a UNESCO World Heritage sitesince 1991. Today, this building serves as a representativeof the magnificent architecture of the then most impor-tant centre for religion and culture in the Frankish Empire.

Founded in 760 and vested with privileges by Charle-magne, Lorsch rapidly developed into a powerful abbeyin the Middle Ages with extensive land holdings reachingfrom the North Sea to the Alps. The Abbey was dissolvedin 1557 in the wake of the Reformation. The buildingswere largely destroyed in 1621, leaving only a few rem-nants. Today, only the King’s Hall, vestiges of aRomanesque church, the Tithe Barn, perimeter walls andarchaeological finds provide an idea of the original scaleof the complex.

Exhibitions in the near-by Museum Centre offerextensive informationabout the Lorsch WorldHeritage site.

The King’s Hallgate house atLorsch Abbey

The LorschGospels


The Messel open-pit mine near Darmstadt is the onlyUNESCO world natural heritage site in Germany. Fromthe former opencast mine, bituminous shale was exploit-ed which contains unusually well-preserved fossils. Theygive evidence of an ecological system in and around acrater lake which existed some 47 million years ago in asub-tropical climate. Among the most popular finds fig-ure various kinds of dog-sized prehistoric horses and ananteater. The special sedimentation environment occasio-

nally even allows for the determination of the animals’stomach contents; thus it is possible to reconstruct theirhabitat to a great extent. Special exhibitions are dedicatedto finds from the Messel Pit in the local heritage and fossilsmuseum in Messel, the Hessen State Museum in Darm-stadt and the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt/Main.The pit itself can only be visited in guided tours; the visitor’scentre, however, offers comprehensive information, andfrom the visitor’s platform you can take a look into the site.

Messel Pit

Grube Messel64409 MesselTel.: 06159-71 75 35E-mail: [email protected] tours:from 1 Aprilthrough 30October onSaturdays andSundays at 1:30p.m. and 3 p.m.Meeting point:Visitor’s centre atthe Messel Pit

The proto-horsePropaleotherium,the showpiece atMessel Pit

TheMacroncranion,

a hedgehog-likeinsectivore


Known as the Upper Middle Rhine Valley cultural land-scape, this impressive section of the Rhine Valleybetween Bingen/Rüdesheim and Koblenz was added tothe UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2002.Culture, nature, history and myth are intertwined hereand fuel a fascination experienced by visitors fromthroughout the world. The cities Rüdesheim and Lorschare part of Hessen.

www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.de

Upper Middle Rhine Valley

The remains ofEhrenfels Castle

betweenRüdesheim andAssmanshausen

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Saalburg Roman fort/The Limes

Saalburg fort is the only extensively reconstructed Romanfort on the Limes – the fortifications built to protect theeastern boundary of the Roman Empire. Today, visitors tothis fort can experience for themselves a bit of what lifewas like nearly 1800 years ago in Roman times. The com-plex is one of the outstanding museums for this era andoffers an interesting and varied programme of events forthe entire family. Kaiser Wilhelm II had Saalburg fort recon-structed on the basis of archaeological findings to reflectthe period around 200 A.D.

Porta Praetoria,the main gate to

Saalburg fort

RömerkastellSaalburgArchäologischerPark61350 BadHomburgTel.: 06175/9374-0E-mail: [email protected] hours:Daily from 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. fromMay -July

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Aerial view ofSaalburg fort

The LimesThe Limes marked the border between the RomanEmpire and Germania. Measuring 550 kilometres inlength, this once gigantic fortification extends across thefour states Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Rhineland-Palatinate and Hessen. With its 100 forts and 900 watch-towers, it is the largest archaeological monument on theEuropean continent. The Upper Germanic-RhaetianLimes have been a UNESCO World Cultural HeritageSite since 2005. Remains of the wall and forts are stilleasily seen in many places in the countryside. The 160kilometres of the Limes that cut through Hessen arebounded by scores of hiking and bike paths, particularlyin the Taunus and Wetterau regions.

www.limesstrasse.de

Replica of a sec-tion of the Limeswith watchtowerand wall nearOrlen

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Palaces, Gardens and Museums 15 15

Palaces, Gardens andMuseums Built for princes, open to everyone today

The modern-day state of Hessen was once a patchwork of principalities, land-graviates and earldoms. Many of the palaces, castles, monasteries, parks andgardens that were once the residence of illustrious persons are now owned bythe State of Hessen. The Administration of the Public Stately Homes and Gardensin Hessen ensures the survival of these historical cultural treasures, researchesand develops them and opens their doors to the public. A few examples:

The Orangery at Karlsaue park in Kassel


Bad Homburg Palace and Park

The White Tower – a one-time keep – still stands watchin front of the medieval fortification. The magnificentpalace that visitors see today was once the residence ofthe Landgraves of Hessen-Homburg. One of the majormodifications to the palace was undertaken by theLandgravine Elisabeth, who as the sister of the Englishking came to Homburg when she married into the fami-ly in 1818. The palace served as a summer residence forthe German Kaiser after Prussian came into it possessionin 1866. All the private and official rooms that were fur-nished under Kaiser Wilhelm II have been preserved andcan be toured.

Schloss Bad Homburg61348 Bad HomburgTel.: 06172-92 62 150or 06172-92 62 159E-mail: [email protected] opening hours:1 March through 31 October Tues - Sun 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. White Tower: Mon-Sun 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Entrance to theBad HomburgPalace Park

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Weilburg Palace and GardenThe counts and later princes of Nassau reigned from Weil-burg Palace. Today, each phase of the complex’s expan-sion is still easily recognizable: the castle built in theMiddle Ages, the palace from the Renaissance and theresidence of the Baroque era. The magnificent display ofcourtly splendour that marked life at Weilburg Palace isevident not only in the sumptuous rooms of the residencebut also in the lovely grounds with the two orangeries,Palace Church and outbuildings. The picturesque OldCity that surrounds the palace is equally worth seeing.

Schloss Weilburg35781 WeilburgTel.: 06471-91 270E-mail: [email protected] hours: 1 March -1 October Tue -Sun 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

View of the palace complex in Weilburg

The Orangery with park

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Biebrich Palace andPalace Park

Built directly on the banks of the Rhine, this impressivepalace with its grounds is a true Baroque jewel. Followingits destruction during the Second World War, the palacewas rebuilt as it once stood. The Biebrich Palace was for-merly the summer residence of the princes of Nassau.The rambling English-style landscape garden was lateradded at the start of the 19th century – complete with aman-made lake and romantic castle ruins.

Schloss Biebrich65203 WiesbadenTel.: 0611- 69 060www.schloesser-hessen.de orwww.denkmalpflege-hessen.de

View of BiebrichPalace

The rotunda, theheart of BiebrichPalace

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Seligenstadt AbbeyEhemaligeBenediktinerabteiSeligenstadt63500 Seligen-stadtTel.: 06182-22 640(Museum)E-mail: [email protected] hours: March -October Tue-Sun 10 a.m. -6 p.m.

There are very few medieval monasteries in Hessen thathave survived the ages almost intact. One of them is theformer abbey in Seligenstadt. Built in 828 on the remainsof a Roman settlement at a crossing over the Main River,Benedictine monks lived here for nearly 1,000 years. Theabbey church – also called Einhard’s Basilica after itsfounder – is one of the largest Carolingian churchesnorth of the Alps. Today, the former Benedictine abbeywith its renovated monastery buildings, museums,abbot’s residence, monastery pharmacy and its famouscloister garden which was recreated according to oldplans attracts visitors from far and wide.

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SeligenstadtAbbey with cloister garden

Pharmacy at the Seligenstadt

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Gelnhausen Imperial Residence

Friedrich I, the Staufer emperor better known as Bar-barossa, founded the Free City of Gelnhausen in 1170and had an imperial residence built outside the city gates– on an island in the Kinzig River. Even after 800 years, thered sandstone remains with their striking rusticatedmasonry are one of the best-preserved imperial residencecomplexes to be found in Central Europe. Of all the Stau-fer fortifications, no other exhibits such lavish sculptedornamentation.

Kaiserpfalz GelnhausenBurgstrasse 14 • 63571 Gelnhausen • Tel.: 06051- 38 05E-mail: [email protected] • www.schloesser-hessen.deOpening hours: March-October, Tue-Sun 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.

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Fürstenlager State Parkin Bensheim-Auerbach

Starting in 1790, the landgraves of Hessen-Darmstadtand then the grand dukes of Hessen-Darmstadt built aromanticized village called Fürstenlager as their summerresidence in Auerbach. The doll-house-like ensemblethat bounds the manor house has remained virtually un-changed through the years. This idyll is situated amidsta 40-hectar park at the foothills of the Odenwald wherethey give way to the Bergstrasse. From here a splendidview opens up over the valley of the Rhine.

Fürstenlager State Park64625 Bensheim-AuerbachTel.: 06251- 93 460E-mail: [email protected]

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Manor house from 1790

The Linen Cottage


Wilhelmsbad State Parkin Hanau

Staatspark und Historische KuranlagenHanau-Wilhelmsbad63454 Hanau-WilhelmsbadTel.: 06181 - 90 65 090E-mail: [email protected]

Wilhelmsbad was built between 1777 and 1785 as aposh spa for the aristocracy and rising bourgeoisie. Thespa facilities with their imposing buildings – theatre,ballrooms, auditoriums, houses and inns – are complete-ly intact. The surrounding park is dotted with furtherbuildings such as the Hermitage, the Devil’s Bridge andthe Pyramid. The park also boasts a unique giantcarousel with a highly complex drive mechanism. Theartificial ruin that the heir to the throne, Prince Wilhelmof Hessen-Kassel, built offers an early example ofRomantic castle architecture. Today’s visitor will find thehereditary prince’s private rooms restored to reflect thatera. The doll museum with its extensive doll and toyexhibition is another popular attraction.

Pyramid in the landscaped

park

Detail of horseson the antiquecarousel

Artificial castle ruin

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Prince George Gardenand Palace in Darmstadt

Prinz-Georg-Garten DarmstadtSchlossgarten-strasse 6b64289 DarmstadtTel.: 06151-12 56 32 (Park)06151-71 32(Porcelain Museum) www.schloesser-hessen.de

In 1710, Landgrave Ernst Ludwig of Hessen-Darmstadthad a small summer palace built that was subsequentlynamed Prince George Palace after a later owner. Thelandgraves’ pastoral pleasure garden was laid out in the18th century, just north of the Residence in Darmstadt,adjoining the Manor Garden. Visitors to the ManorGarden today will find a jewel of Baroque gardening art.

Prince GeorgePalace

Prince GeorgeGarden

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Collections at Erbach CastleSammlungenErbachMarktplatz 164711 ErbachTel.: 06062 -94 330 E-mail: [email protected] from 1 March through31 October.Guided tours: on weekdays at11 a.m. and 3p.m.; on Satur-days and Sundaysas well as on pub-lic holidays at 2,3, 4 and 5 p.m.

The State of Hessen bought Erbach Castle and its col-lections just in the last year to prevent this unique“ensemble” from being broken up. Count Franz vonErbach-Erbach created a private cultural history museumfor himself in the Odenwald mountains 200 years ago –which is still totally intact today: antique sculptures,Greek vases, Chinese porcelain, an arsenal from the daysof German knights, a rifle hall that shows the develop-ment of small arms, a stateroom with a collection ofantlers that is one-of-its-kind in Europe.

Erbach CastleView of the front

Erbach Castleexhibition hall

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Hessen State MuseumDarmstadt

AnselmFeuerbach,Iphigenie, 1862

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A family of hominids(3-dimensional scienti-fic reconstructions:Studio WILDLIFE ART,W. Schnaubelt & Kieserfor the “HessischesLandesmuseumDarmstadt“)

Above: Spadefoot toad; left: MesselerFingertier; below:Doppelhundszahn-krokodil.

The collections of the Hessen State Museum Darmstadtdate back to the landgraves of Hessen-Darmstadt andparticularly to the heir to the throne and later GrandDuke Ludwig I who ruled from 1790 until 1830. TheHessen State Museum Darmstadt is one of the fewmuseums that still maintain the breadth of their collec-tions which extends from prehistoric times and early his-tory to Greek and Roman archaeology, works ofmedieval ivory and altar paintings to painting, sculptureand arts and crafts up to the present, including theworld’s largest complex of works by Joseph Beuys. Italso houses a Physics Gallery and historical music instru-ment, zoological, geological/mineralogical and paleon-tological collections. The museum recently gained a newattraction with the donation of the Spierer Collection, aninternationally important collection of early modern tocontemporary sculpture.

Hessisches Landesmuseum DarmstadtFriedensplatz 1 • 64283 DarmstadtTel.: 06151-16 5703E-mail: info@ hlmd.de • www.hlmd.deOpening hours: Tue-Sat 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Wed 10 a.m.- 8 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.- 5 p.m.


The Wiesbaden Museum owes its international impor-tance first and foremost to the probably most importantcollection of works worldwide by the Russian painterAlexeij von Jawlensky who lived in Wiesbaden from1921 until his death in 1941. This collection is supple-mented by other major works of the Classical Modernand the art of the twentieth century up to the present.The historical repository of the museum comprises thecollection of Nassau Antiquities including exhibits aboutthe Nassau history along with finds from the Roman era.The comprehensive natural science collection presentsregional geological findings as well as local, African andAmerican fauna.

Wiesbaden Museum

MuseumWiesbadenFriedrich-Ebert-Allee 265185 WiesbadenTel.: 0611- 33 52170 E-mail: [email protected] hours: Tues 10 a.m.- 8 p.m., Wed -Sun10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Impressive foyer: the octogon in the museum’s entrance hall Tailleur du Coeur, 1998

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Ilya Kabakov, Der Rote Waggon,

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Museum Landscape Kassel

Museumlandschaft Hessen Kassel • Schloss WilhelmshöheSchlosspark 1 • 34131 KasselTel.: 0561- 31 68 00 E-mail: [email protected] • www.museum-kassel.deOpening hours: Tue -Sun 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe: From 1 May: Every Wednesday,Sunday and holiday, 2:30 p.m.: Baroque water displays

WilhelmshöhePalace is home to the picturegallery “AlteMeister“ and the antiquitiescollection.

Wilhelmshöhehillside park

Cascades andGiant Castle withHercules statue

The abundant holdings of the Kassel museums originatefrom the collections of art and antiques of the HessianLandgraves. They consist of a total of nine collections,including some outstanding works of art. The picturegallery "Alte Meister" – old masters – in the palace Wil-helmshöhe displays, for instance, the greatest numberof works of Rembrandt in Germany. Yet, also architec-tural and scenic attractions form an ensemble creating aunique appeal: The "Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe” with thetown’s landmark "Herkules” are part of these attrac-tions, just as the state park "Karlsaue” or the castle"Wilhelmsthal” in Kassel-Calden.

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Fridericianum Art and Exhibition Hall

documentaIt has become an institution: Since its initiation in 1955documenta has undisputedly been regarded as one ofthe most significant presentation platforms of contem-porary art in the world which gains the highest publicattention. There was hardly anyone at that time whowould have thought that documenta – occasionallycalled the "hundred day museum” – would achieve thisunparalleled success.Up to the present, documenta has preserved its singularcharacter on the international exhibition and art market.Its concept to choose a new director every five years hassurely contributed to this. The individual artistic ideasand preferences of each director form documenta andreinvent it as it were time and again. This proven con-cept draws from the whole creative potential and hasadvanced documenta to become an authoritative world-wide seismograph of contemporary art – beloved by thepublic, respected by the experts.

Built in classical style between 1769 and 1779 by Land-grave Friedrich II to house his art collections and library,the Fridericianum was the first public museum to beerected on the European continent. Following its destruc-tion in the Second World War, the edifice was provision-ally rebuilt and provided the venue for the first documen-ta in 1955. Today, the fully restored Fridericianum is anexhibition hall with changing exhibitions of contemporaryart and a stage for documenta activities.

documenta undMuseumFridericianumVeranstaltungs-GmbHFriedrichsplatz 1834117 KasselTel.: 0561-707270 E-mail: [email protected]

Kunsthalle FridericianumFriedrichsplatz 18, 34117 Kassel, Tel.: 0561-70 72 720 E-mail: [email protected] hours: Wed-Sun 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.Man walking to

the sky, Jonathan Borofsky, 1992

Fridericianum Artand ExhibitionHall; documenta 1 from 15 July - 18 September1955

Claes Oldenburg, Pickaxe, 1982, documenta 7


Städel Art Institute andthe Municipal Gallery

The banker and trader Johann Friedrich Städel createdthe untitled Städel Art Institute in 1815. Today, this exqui-site collection holds paintings and selected sculpturesfrom seven centuries from the early Middle Ages up tothe present. Works are presented by van Eyck, Botticelli,Durer, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Monet, Kirchner, Picasso andYves Klein.

Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische GalerieSchaumainkai 63 • 60596 Frankfurt am MainTel.: 069- 60 50 980 E-mail: [email protected] hours: Tue, Fri, Sat, Sun 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.; Wed and Thur 10 a.m.- 9 p.m.

Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein

Goethe in the Roman Campagna,

1786/87

Städel – exteriorview from the

river Main (left)and interior view(above) showingspacious exhibi-

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Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt exhibition hall Located in the heart of Frankfurt, the Schirn KunsthalleFrankfurt has been one of Europe’s most renowned exhi-bition halls ever since it opened in 1986. “The Schirn”presents works of contemporary art from a both a con-temporaneous and current vantage point to spur cultur-al debates that extend far beyond the region’s borders.

Max Beckmann, The Rape of Europa, 1933

Adolph Menzel, Weekday in Paris,

1869, from the exhibition

Conquering the Streets

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Schirn Kunsthalle FrankfurtRömerberg, 60311 FrankfurtTel.: 069 - 29 98 820 E-mail: [email protected] • www.schirn-kunsthalle.deOpening hours: Tue, Fri - Sun 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Wed and Thur10 a.m.-10 p.m.


Museum for Applied ArtFrankfurt

Museum forModern Art

With more than 30,000 exhibits, the Museum for AppliedArt in Frankfurt is one of the most important museums ofits kind in the international comparison. The new building,designed by the New York star architect Richard Meier, wascompleted in 1985 and represents an outstanding exampleof more recent museum architecture. European arts andcrafts, art and arts and crafts of Eastern Asia, Islamic art,book art and graphic art and design provide a diverse pic-ture of the many forms of artistic expression.

Buddhist stele,China, 2nd quarterof the 6th century

Museum für Angewandte Kunst FrankfurtSchaumainkai 17 • 60594 Frankfurt am MainTel.: 069-21 23 40 37E-mail: info.angewandte-kunst@stadt-frankfurt.dewww.museumfuerangewandtekunst.frankfurt.deOpening hours: Tue, Thur-Sun 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Wed 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Zentrale Halle mit Werken derPop-Art (2005)

Museum für Moderne KunstDomstrasse 10 • 60311 Frankfurt am MainTel.: 069 - 21 23 04 47 E-mail: [email protected] hours: Tue, Thur -Sun 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Wed 10a.m.- 8 p.m.

Inaugurated in 1991, the Museum for Modern Art marksan architectural highlight and, because of its triangularshape, has been dubbed "piece of cake”. It wasdesigned by the Viennese architect Hans Hollein. His sonMax meanwhile directs several museums in Frankfurtincluding the art gallery Schirn. Unexpected vistas andoptimal lighting make a walk through the galleries anout-of-the-ordinary experience. Pop art forms the focalpoint of collection; exhibits of object and conceptual artas well as room installations document the diverse rangeof contemporary directions in art.


German Architecture Museum

DeutschesArchitekturMuseumSchaumainkai 4360596 Frankfurtam MainTel.: 069-21 23 88 44E-mail: [email protected] hours: Tue, Thur-Sun 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.,Wed 11 a.m.- 8 p.m.

The internationally renowned architect Oswald MathiasUnger solved the problem of converting a private duplexvilla dating from 1912 into a museum with his "housewithin a house” concept. The permanent exhibition"From Stone Age Hut to Skyscraper” shows the country’smost extensive collection of model panoramas on archi-tectural history. In addition to exhibitions, the museumholds regulardiscussions andworkshops ontopics relatedto internationalarchitecture.

Liebieghaus – Museumof Antique Sculpture

Liebieghaus – Museum alter PlastikSchaumainkai 7160596 Frankfurt am MainTel.: 069- 21 23 86 15E-mail: [email protected]. liebieghaus.deOpening hours: Tue-Sun 10 a.m.- 5p.m., Wed 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

The Museum of Antique Sculpture opened in 1909 as amunicipal sculpture collection in a villa purchased by thetextile manufacturer Heinrich Baron von Liebieg. Today,the Liebieghaus is one of the most important sculpturemuseums in the world, with works from not onlyEgyptian, Greek and Roman antiquity but also from theMiddle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo andClassical periods and Eastern Asia.

“House within a house”

Athena, 1st century A.D. after a work byMyron from the 5th century B.C. Liebig-haus Frankfurt am Main Ph

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Jewish Museum of theCity of Frankfurt am Main

Housed in the former Rothschild Palace, the JewishMuseum documents not only Jewish history from thefirst Jewish migrants to Germany to the end of theFrankfurt ghetto but also the history of the Jews inGermany during the 19th and 20th centuries up to there-establishment of Jewish congregations after theHolocaust. Another area of focus is religious practice inthe synagogue and the home, in everyday life and onholidays. A separate room is dedicated to the Rothschildfamily.The Judengasse Museum at Börneplatz is a branch ofthe Jewish Museum. It houses the foundations frombuildings that were once part of the former Judengasse(“Jew Alley”) ghetto and documents the history of thisstreet, its residents and houses over a period of morethan 300 years. Visitors to the Oskar and Emilie SchindlerLearning Centre can also read about the lives ofFrankfurt Jews who were deported and murdered. Thesepersons’ names are part of the wall of this memorial.

Jüdisches Museum der Stadt Frankfurt am MainUntermainkai 14-15 • 60311 Frankfurt am MainTel.: 069- 21 23 50 00 E-mail: info@juedisches museum.dewww.juedisches-museum.deOpening hours: Tue-Sun 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Wed 10 a.m.- 8 p.m.

Rothschild Palace

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Goethe HouseFree GermanFoundationFrankfurt Goethe MuseumThe reconstructed parental house where Johann Wolf-gang von Goethe was born gives insight into the histori-cally restored rooms; in addition, it accommodates agallery showing works of artists from the times whenGoethe lived as well as a graphical collection.

The foundation "Freies Deutsches Hochstift" is one ofthe oldest German cultural institutes and board oftrustees for the Goethe Museum. It also maintains anarchive of poets’ works among others by Clemens vonBrentano and Hugo von Hofmannsthal.

In the PaintingGallery of theGoethe House

The Blue Room in the Goethe House

The kitchen in theGoethe House

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Goethe-HausFreies Deutsches HochstiftFrankfurter Goethe-MuseumGroßer Hirschgraben 23-2560311 Frankfurt am Main Tel.: 069 -13 88 00E-mail: [email protected] hours: Mon-Sat 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., Sun and holidays 10 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.

Skeleton of anorca whale

An anacondadevouring a wild

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SenckenbergForschungs-institut undNaturmuseumSenckenberg-anlage 2560325 Frankfurtam MainTel.: 069-75 420 E-mail: [email protected] hours: Mon, Tue, Thurs and Fri 9 a.m.- 5 p.m., Wed 9 a.m.- 8 p.m., Sat, Sun and holi-days 9 a.m.- 6 p.m.

SenckenbergResearch Instituteand Natural History Museum

The courtyard ofthe Senckenberg Museum

Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural HistoryMuseum is synonymous with international top research infields as marine research and botany as well as zoologyand the evolution of mankind. The outstanding didacticpresentation make the visit to the Natural History Museuman unforgettable experience. The virtual tour illustratesfour billion years of the Earth’s history highlighted byfocal issues and impressive exhibits: Dinosaurs, fossilsfrom the Messel Pit or a documentation on the evolution ofwhales and elephants accentuated by a rainforest exhi-bition spotlight the broad spectrum of natural history.

Museum of World Cultures

Museum derWeltkulturenSchaumainkai 29-3760594 Frankfurtam MainTel.: 069-21 23 59 13E-mail: museum.weltkulturen@stadt-frankfurt.dewww.mdw.frankfurt.deOpening hours: Tue, Thur, Fri,Sun 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Wed 10 a.m.- 8 p.m., Sat 2 p.m.- 8 p.m.

Die Villen desMuseums der Welt-

kulturen, Schau-mainkai 29-37.

The Museum of World Cultures regards itself as a forumwhere cultures meet and as a mediator between cultures.Exhibits illustrating different cultural forms and ways of lifecome vividly across and widen the perspective for thediverse expressions of viewing the world. Exhibitions and events treat the topics of meaning of lifeand death, integration into the community, or concepts ofnature and culture. The museum’s Galerie 37 shows contemporary works by

Indian, Afri-can, Oceanicand Indone-sian artists.

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John Siune,Chimbu, PapuaNeuguinea.„Yanpela man na meri ...“ 1998

Theatre, Festivals and Music 57 57

Theatre, Festivals and Music Stages and orchestras that resonate

State Theatre Wiesbaden


HessischesStaatstheaterDarmstadtGeorg-Büchner-Platz 164283 DarmstadtTel.: 06151-28 11 600 E-mail: [email protected] Opening hours:Box office: Tue-Fri 9:30 a.m.- 6 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Hessen State TheatreDarmstadt

The Darmstadt Theatre is home to four theatrical linesand looks back on more than 175 years of tradition. Inthe autumn of 2006 it was reopened after extensive ren-ovation. While the stage was equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the building erected at the begin-ning of the seventies of the twentieth century in the typ-ical style of the era was adapted to today’s technical andstructural standards and received a new striking theatreportal. These modifications mark a new pioneeringchapter which draws from a long tradition of opera andtheatre performances. In the times of the WeimarRepublic in the twenties, they set the standard by firstperforming modern authors and remarkable classicalproductions.Every season puts some forty productions on the stage.The Large Theatre with 956 seats preferably plays opera,the Small Theatre offers 482 seats for drama. The StateTheatre is not only geographically located in the citycentre, but it also gives guest performances in municipaltheatres such as Centralstation.

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Hessen State TheatreWiesbaden

The Wiesbaden State Theatre houses five theatrical linesproviding three stages for parallel performances. On somedays, there are up to four performances which total in morethan 900 performances every year. Over 20 first produc-tions in opera, drama and ballet open a great cultural vari-ety with numerous performances of the repertory includingclassical works just as well as modern music theatre andplays of contemporary drama. Performances of the "musictheatre workshop" or readings and literary event seriescomplete the programme. Since 1896 the International May Festival stands out inevery season. The programme uniquely combines highestartistic standard with exceptional performances.

HessischesStaatstheaterWiesbadenChristian-Zais-Strasse 365189 WiesbadenTel.: 0611-13 23 25(Box office) www. staatstheater-wiesbaden.deBox office opening hours: Mon - Fri 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., Sun and holidays11 a.m.-1 p.m.Ph

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Hessen State TheatreKassel

Orchestra and theatre have a long tradition in Kassel.The orchestra of the Kassel State Theatre ranges amongthe oldest orchestras in Germany looking back on amore than 500 years’ history. Back in 1604 the first per-manent theatre building was erected on the continentwhich is the precursor of today’s theatre.

On 12 September 1959 the PrimeMinister of Hessen Georg AugustZinn inaugurated the opera atFriedrichsplatz with its 953 seats. On this occasion "Prometheus” wasput on stage, a contract work byRudolf Wagner Régeny; one daylater the drama theatre was opened.Barely 50 years later and after twoand a half years of comprehensiverenovation work, the reopening ofthe State Theatre marks the begin-ning of a new era in Kassel theatrehistory.

Scene from Parsifal

Hessisches Staatstheater KasselFriedrichsplatz 15 34117 KasselTel.: 0561-10 94 222 (Advance sales)E-mail: [email protected]

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Gießen Municipal Theatre

StadttheaterGießenBerliner Platz35390 GießenTel.: 0641-79 57 60 or 61(tickets) E-mail: [email protected] www.stadttheater-giessen.de

Inaugurated in 1907 as a “monument to civic spirit”, theGießen Municipal Theatre offers on two stages a broadrepertoire of opera, musicals and operettas, classicaland modern plays and modern dance theatre. Regularmatinees, lectures and readings in the inviting ArtNouveau foyer round out the theatre’s cultural pro-gramme. Symphony concerts and a series of chamber concertsand solo performances meet with a good response fromthe region’s music lovers.The Giessen Municipal Theatre puts on performances ofthe children and youth theatre for different age groupsthroughout the year. The Gießen Municipal Theatre also puts on plays for chil-dren and adolescents throughout the year. A series ofconcerts with a moderator and the Theatre’s ownPhilharmonic Orchestra also targets the younger set.The Theatre’s junior and youth clubs invite children andyoung people to experience theatre for themselves.

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Hessen State TheatreMarburg

Classical plays, quality light theatre, successful musicals,children’s and youth theatre, modern studio productionsand open-air performances are just part of the high-quality theatre programme from Upper Hessen that theHessen State Theatre in Marburg offers the entire state.

HessischesLandestheaterMarburg GmbHAm Schwanhof68-7235037 MarburgTel.: 06421-99 02 31 E-mail:[email protected] office opening hours: Mon-Sat 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Mon-Fri 4:30 p.m.- 6 p.m.

Castle Festival inRauischholzhausen

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Frankfurt Old OperaThe wonderful building of the Old Opera welcomes guestperformances and does not have an ensemble of its own.Every year the diverse programme meets the high approvalof a demanding metropolitan audience. The edifice whichwas built in 1880 was destroyed in the Second World War.

It was not until 1976 that the works began to rebuild the edi-fice from its ruins. In 1981 the stylishly restored theatre couldbe inaugurated whose historical interior meets today’s tech-nical and acoustic standards of a modern concert hall.

Alte Oper FrankfurtOpernplatz 1

60313 Frankfurt am MainTel.: 069-13 40 321

E-mail: [email protected]

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FrankfurtMunicipal Theatres

Städtische Bühnen Frankfurt am Main GmbHUntermainanlage1160311 Frankfurt am MainTel.: 069-21237000E-mail: [email protected] www.schauspielfrankfurt.dewww.oper-frankfurt.de

In Frankfurt, a modern post-war building is home to thecity’s Municipal Theatres, Playhouse and Opera. Thebuilding features Europe’s largest revolving stage. TheBockenheim Depot – a one-time maintenance hall fortrains – also provides an additional stage that is used pri-marily for experimental opera productions. Panel discussions revolving around football history andstories, myths and tales, dramas and heroes will be heldat the Frankfurt Playhouse to mark the World Cup cham-pionship.

Scene from Through Roses


Gallus Theatre FrankfurtThe Gallus Theatre is operated by a private organizationand supported by the City of Frankfurt. Established in1978, it developed out of cultural work being done withforeign youths in Frankfurt’s Gallus district. It moved itsstage to a hall that was part of a one-time automobilefactory in 1998.

Gallus Theater e.V.Kleyerstrasse 1560326 Frankfurtam MainTel.: 069-75 80 60 20(Tickets) E-mail: [email protected]. gallustheater.de

All photos from the play Homelessness

FrankfurtFree Theatre House

The Free Theatre House performs on two stages offering80 to 120 seats varying with the production. For someyears already, it has concentrated on theatre for childrenand juveniles. The focal point of its ensemble work is onthe project "European myths for children". Authors as wellas research, pedagogic and artistic training centres co-operate in elaborating and putting on stage the rich treas-ury of mythical themes for children and adolescents.The Free Theatre House was inaugurated in 1991 as astage and production venue of free theatre ensembles inFrankfurt. Ever since it has been sponsored by Frankfurtcitizens and companies and received benefits from the Cityof Frankfurt and the Hessen State Ministry of HigherEducation, Research and the Arts; the Federal Governmentpromoted this theatre as a pilot project. The theatre co-operates with friendly theatres on a local, cross-regionaland international level as well as with cultural and socialinstitutions. The Frankfurt jazz initiative gives monthly per-formances in the theatre café. P

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TheaterhausEnsembleSTIEFMÜTTER!von Paul Pourveur,Regie: Rob Vriens

Freies Theater-haus GmbHSchützenstraße 1260311 Frankfurtam MainTel.: 069-29 98 61 10E-mail: [email protected]


The largest English-language theatreon the European continent offers aprogramme of plays and musicals.

The English Theatre Frankfurt

Scene from The Syringa Tree

The English Theatre GmbHKaiserstrasse 34 Entrance at: Gallusanlage 760329 Frankfurt am MainTel.: 069-24 23 160 E-mail: [email protected]

The Forsythe CompanyFrankfurtWilliam Forsythe founded his ownCompany after the disbandment ofthe Frankfurt Ballet at the end of the2003/04 season. Since then he hasprogressively developed and refinedthe work of the Frankfurt Ballet. TheForsythe Company is – for example –performing at Hellerau FestivalTheatre near Dresden, the Bocken-heim Depot in Frankfurt am Main,the Zurich Theatre and other venuesaround the world. It also conductsprojects in various genres such asperformance installations, multi-media works and video and film pro-ductions.

The Forsythe CompanyCarlo-Schmid-Platz 160325 Frankfurt am MainTel.: 069-21 23 75 86www.theforsythecompany.de

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Bad Hersfeld Festival

Its historical backdrop alone – theruins of a more than 1,000-year-oldabbey – makes the Bad HersfeldFestival an incomparable venue. It isone of the largest open-air theatresin German-speaking Europe. Classi-cal dramas all the way to modernplays and musicals draw an interna-tional audience with more than100,000 visitors every year.

Bad Hersfelder FestspieleAm Markt 136251 Bad HersfeldTel.: 06621-20 13 60 (Ticket service) E-mail: [email protected]. bad-hersfelder-festspiele.deTicket office opening hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m.- 5 p.m., Starting 9 June 2006: 9 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Ph

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Opera in the Abbey RuinsBad Hersfeld Opera Festival

Bad Hersfeld Festival Concerts

The Arbeitskreis für Musik music association organizesthe Bad Hersfeld Opera Festival in the Abbey Ruins, theBad Hersfeld Festival Concerts and season concerts.Oratorios, symphony concerts and chamber music withfamous soloists and orchestras from throughout Europeare also scheduled throughout the entire year.Arbeitskreis für Musik members include the HersfeldFestival Choir, the Marburg Concert Choir and theFrankfurt Concert Choir (concert and oratorio choirs),whose members also serve as the opera choir during theBad Hersfeld Opera Festival.

Advance booking officeArbeitskreis für Musik e.V.Nachtigallenstr. 736251 Bad HersfeldTel.: 06621- 50 67 13E-mail: [email protected] orwww.opernfestspiele-badhersfeld.de

Opening hours: Advance ticket sales Mon-Fri 9 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.- 6 p.m. Telephone inquiries: Mon - Fri 8 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.- 4 p.m.

Opera Festival in the ruins of Bad Hersfeld Abbey

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Rheingau Music Festival

Rheingau MusikFestival Konzert-gesellschaft mbHRheinallee 165375 Oestrich-WinkelTel.: 01805 -74 34 64E-mail: [email protected]

Every year in summer, the most scenic places and open-airvenues in the Rheingau region and its surroundingsbetween Wiesbaden and Lorch offer more than 150 eventsranging from cabaret to classical performances, includingjazz, light and satire entertainment. Since its beginnings in1987, the artistic quality and the world famous artists havemade the Rheingau Music Festival one of Europe’s leadingmusic festivals.

Weilburg Palace ConcertsWith an extensive and varied concert programme, theWeilburg Palace Concerts feature music from all stylisticperiods. Interpreted by internationally renowned, highlygifted young artists and set against the historic back-drop of the Weilburg Palace’s Renaissance courtyard,palace church and orangery, Weilburg Palace Concertsare an experience to remember.

Weilburger Schlosskonzerte e.V.Postfach 1329, 35773 Weilburg Tel.: 06471-94 42 11 or 10 (Advance ticket sales) E-mail: info@weilburger-schlosskonzerte.dewww.weilburger-schlosskonzerte.deTicket office opening hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Thur-Fri 4 p.m.-7 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.-12 p.m.Ph

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Since the summer of 1989 the festival "Jazz in the Court-yard" has attracted jazz fans to come to the inner court-yard of the Hessen State Ministry of Higher Education,Research and the Arts in Wiesbaden. The concert seriesstands exemplary for the many jazz events held through-out the contry all year round. Every time an expert audi-ence appreciates the relaxed and casual atmospherewhich usually comes up especially with summer time

jazz events suchas the oldest ger-man open-air jazzseries "Jazz inPalmengarten” inFrankfurt.

Jazz in the Courtyard

Jazz im HofHessischesMinisterium fürWissenschaft und KunstEntrance: Luisen-straße 10-1265185 WiesbadenE-mail: [email protected] www.jazz-im-hof.de

Joan Faulkner

The BarrelhouseJazz Band

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Hessen – Land of Cinema Where moving pictures have a long history and a bright future

It made history: The "Royal" cinema in Frankfurt

Hessen – Land of Cinema 84 85

Hessen – Land of CinemaSpotlight on a modern media location

Minister Udo Cortsat the award ceremony for theHessen Film Prize

Hessen – and the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main metropolitanarea in particular – is one of Germany’s leading media lo-cations. The region has traditionally been a major mediacentre due to its well-developed publishing trade whichin recent years has been joined by a high-powered adver-tising industry. Although Hessen may be less widely knownfor its proficiency in the area of new media, this fast-growing sector is actually larger, having generated some2,500 firms and 80,000 jobs in the state in recent years.With its concentration of expertise, the Rhine-Main met-ropolitan area is currently one of Europe’s leading cen-tres for digital image processing and post-productionservices. Hessen’s state government is particularly awareof the economic and artistic potential that modern cine-ma and movie culture offers for the future. Filmmakersand producers from the area and throughout the worldbenefit from this: Hessen is home to everything that con-stitutes a modern film industry – from traditional moviesto creative, sophisticated film locations all the way tostate-of-the-art post-production facilities.

The state’s culture of institutional funding – which en-deavours to foster quality and diversity in film produc-tion – creates enormous incentives for further improvingthe medium. This is a particular focus of Hessen’s cultur-al policy which works on the principle that a well-madefilm can definitely hold a candle to a well-written book.

With this in mind – and to forge a symbolic link – theaward ceremony for the respected Hessen Film andCinema Prize is held at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Hessen’simage as a modern film and media location thus bene-fits from the energy generated by the Book Fair’s “global brand”!

Hessen Film Funding The Hessen Film Funding organization – which bringstogether Hessen’s Cultural Film Funding agency andHessen Broadcasting Corporation’s Film Funding pro-gramme – supports films of all genres, lengths and for-mats through grants, with special attention given toartistic quality and relevance.

Hessische FilmförderungAm Steinernen Stock 160320 Frankfurt am MainTel.: 069-15 54 516E-mail: postmaster@hessische-filmfoerderung.dewww.hessische-filmfoerderung.deOpening hours: Mon-Fri 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Deutsches Filminstitut – DIF e.V.Schaumainkai 41 • 60596 Frankfurt am MainTel.: 069-9612 200 E-mail: info@ deutsches-filminstitut.dewww.deutsches-filminstitut.de/programm.htmOpening times: Tue, Thur and Fri: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wed 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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Established in 1984, the German Film Museum was the firstfilm museum dedicated to moving pictures in Germany.The museum’s extensive collections have been system-atized and made available to the public in its archives. TheGerman Film Museum organizes exhibitions, publicationsand a wide range of activities to increase the public’s back-ground knowledge and help it develop a discriminatingunderstanding of film, the mass medium. The cinema in themuseum complex is used for specialprogrammes and for showing films, inthe original when possible. The filmlibrary holds some 80,000 publica-tions, 175 journals and an affiliatedvideo library.

German Film Museum

Deutsches FilmmuseumSchaumainkai 4160596 Frankfurt am MainTel.: 069-2123 88 30 E-mail: [email protected] hours: Tue, Thur, Fri 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Wed, Sun 10 a.m. -7 p.m., Sat 2 p.m.-7 p.m.

German Film InstituteThe German Film Institute with its offices in Frankfurtand Wiesbaden collects films and publications aboutfilms, analyzes and makes them available to the public.It operates the foremost Internet platform for Germancinema (www.filmportal.de) and is involved in Europeanmedia projects. The Institute regularly shows films at theCaligari FilmBühne cinema in Wiesbaden and hosts thegoEast – Festival of Central and Eastern European Filmevery year in April. The German Film Institute mergedwith the German Film Museum on 1 January 2006.

Bernhard Wicki1953, (H. Meroth)

Cinema hall of the “DeutschesFilmmuseum“

Film Festivals in HessenHessen’s film policy is gearedto the very best in (Germanand international) film – and isequally dedicated to ensuringthat quality films reach abroad audience. For instance,numerous film festivals havebeen enriching the localmedia scene for many yearsnow. The spectrum starts with the LUCAS internationalchildren’s film festival andextends to the goEast festivalfor Central and Eastern Euro-pean film, the Kassel Docu-mentary Film and Video Festi-val all the way to eDIT – TheFilmmaker’s Festival which

brings together the biggest and brightest stars from theEuropean and American post-production scene. Offer-ing films that cover a broad cultural range, the organiz-ers of these festivals aim to spark enthusiasm for artisti-cally and culturally ambitious cinema, particularly amongyoung people.

Hessen is tapping into an innovative trend in the film-making industry – the digitization of film – most notablywith eDIT, an unparalleled event in Germany. The eDITfestival provides a cutting-edge showcase for innovationin film production and a vehicle for demonstrating thepast development and future of moving pictures.Through its collaboration with the Visual Effects Society– the trade’s most important association – eDIT has afurther platform from which it can present top interna-tional achievements.

So all in all, when the starting whistle opens the firstmatches at the World Cup and the ball can be played,Hessen will also be wholeheartedly saying, “Lights!Camera! Action!”

www.filmportal.de

eDIT FestivalDirector SebastianPopp, VisualEffects Society(VES) founderTom Atkin, Holly-wood actressKristanna Loken,Minister PresidentRoland Koch

Open Air FilmFestival inWeiterstadt

Literature, Archives, Libraries 89 89

Literature, Archives and Libraries Reading and writing, repositories of knowledge and the custodians of language and literature


Names such as Georg Christoph Lichtenberg,Heinrich Hoffmann – the creator of Struwwelpeter(shock-headed Peter), Karl Gutzkow, Ludwig Börne,Martin and Paula Buber as well as Walter Benjamin,Theodor W. Adorno, Leo Löwenthal and Siegfried

Kracauer and, more recently, Marcel Reich-Ranicki showjust how broad the range of literary work is, extending itto journalistic essays, interpretation, criticism and philo-sophical aphorisms. It is no coincidence that this cosmo-politan trade centre has also contributed like few othercities to a more modern, expanded concept and under-standing of literature

This also includes what has become known as“Suhrkamp culture” – a unique phenomenon in modern-day Europe in which a publisher’s name became synony-mous with a philosophy of actively fostering intellectualquality. Although intrinsically linked to the era of thesmaller Bonn Republic, Suhrkamp culture in today’sBerlin Republic of reunified Germany still stands for aunique meshing of literature, the liberal arts and socialsciences that radiated far beyond Germany’s borders.Although set in motion by company founder PeterSuhrkamp, his successor Siegfried Unseld who died in2002 was the principal force behind this undertakingwhich continues to be a work in progress.

The liberal-mindedness of the Free Imperial City ofFrankfurt am Main provided fertile ground for the devel-opment of the world’s largest book fair. The Frankfurt

Literature in HessenOne could say that Hessen’s relationship to literature isa felicitous one. It would be only a slight exaggeration tocompare it to the relationship that the Aquitaine –Hessen’s partner region in France – has with red wine.

Literature and its champions – authors and publishers– have been held in high regard in Hessen’s cities andprovinces for centuries. They have contributed substan-tially to the state’s good reputation and have even beena major factor in its economic prosperity in recent times!

Literature and “men and women of letters” have along tradition in Hessen. This tradition dates back to theyear 830 and the Song of Hildebrand – the oldest sur-viving epic Germanic poem in Old High German. It wastranscribed at Fulda Monastery and is today one of thebest known and most valuable items on display at theState Library in Kassel.

This tradition lived on through Johann JakobChristoph von Grimmelshausen – the most important literary witness to the Thirty Years’ War, the geniusGoethe, Georg Büchner – the rebel, poet and consum-mate dramatist who died at age 23 – and the BrothersGrimm. It is still very much alive today with the names ofoutstanding contemporary authors such as Eva Demski,Wilhelm Genazino, Robert Gernhardt, Peter Härtling,Martin Mosebach and Gabriele Wohmann comprising –for the time being – the most recent entries in this dis-tinguished list.

Even when Frankfurt and Hessen have not been aplace of inspiration in the traditional sense for allauthors, the city and the state have left their mark on theworks of many. Which is why writers who have only livedhere – either temporarily or for longer periods – shouldalso be mentioned: Their ranks include FriedrichHölderlin, Matthias Claudius, Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, Rainer Maria Rilke, Hoffmann von Fallersleben,Ferdinand Freiligrath, Adolf von Knigge and BorisPasternak, just to name a few.

From left to right:Georg Büchner,Wilhelm andJacob Grimm,Johann WolfgangGoethe, GeorgChristophLichtenberg


During the Book Fair a huge number of events such asauthor readings, award ceremonies, book signings, pressconferences, specialized seminars, discussions and lec-tures is offered.

For this reason, the Hessen – Land of Readers projectorganizes such activities for listeners and visitors of allages in various cities throughout the state. In theprocess it puts, along with participating publishing hous-es, to very advantageous use of synergies that are regu-larly generated by the presence of many famous authorsat the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Book Fair itself is firmly anchored in a financially suc-cessful publishing, book trade and press landscape thathas high literary standards and the most closely wovenstructures in Germany. For example, about 350 publish-ing houses and more than 750 bookstores are listed inHessen. Internationally respected dailies such as theFrankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (the successor to theFrankfurter Zeitung which was unrivalled in cultural mat-ters) and the Frankfurter Rundschau plus a number ofimportant magazines round out this picture.

In Hessen, literature, its concerns and the interests ofits authors are supported and fostered by institutionswhose decision to locate in the state was not an arbitraryone. These institutions include first and foremost theGerman Academy for Language and Literature whichawards the respected Büchner Prize, the German P.E.NCentre in Darmstadt, the German Language Society inWiesbaden and the Book Art Foundation in Frankfurt.Numerous “houses of literature” plus the HessenLiterature Forum in Frankfurt consider it their responsi-bility to bring literature to the people and foster authorsin Hessen’s cities and provinces. Founded in 2003, theHessen Literature Council network strives to pool literaryactivities and interests and improve communication andreciprocal awareness.

The Hessen – Land of Readers project being conduct-ed by the Frankfurt Book Fair together with the HessenState Ministry of Higher Education, Research and theArts aims to extend the cultural impact of the world’slargest book fair beyond Frankfurt’s city limits to theentire state.

From left to right:Theodor W.Adorno, MarieLuise Kaschnitz,WilhelmGenazino, EvaDemski

The internationalFrankfurt Book

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Hessen Literature Forumin the Mouson Tower

The Hessen Literature Forum fosters young authorsthrough a broad range of literature-related activities andholds readings with authors from throughout the world.Working together with public libraries, kindergartensand schools, the Forum develops strategies and readingcampaigns to win new reader groups and dismantle lan-guage barriers.

HessischesLiteraturforum imMousonturm e.V. Waldschmidt-strasse 460316 Frankfurtam MainTel.: 069-24 44 99 41E-mail:[email protected]

HessischerLiteraturrat e.V.c/o HartmutHolzapfel MdLSchlossplatz 1-365183 WiesbadenTel.: 0611- 35 01 637 E-mail: [email protected]

Hessen Literature CouncilAs a partner and co-organizer of the Hessen – Land ofLiterature project, the Hessen Literature Council repre-sents the interests and standpoints of literary organiza-tions and institutions state-wide. Its activities include cul-tivating contacts with Hessen’s partner regions inEurope, publishing regional literary guides and conduct-ing conferences, writing workshops and symposia onpriority topics such as ways to foster reading.

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Hessen Central State Archives WiesbadenHistorically valuable documents dating from the 10thcentury to the present comprise the extensive holdingsof the Hessen Central State Archives. These includeroyal and papal documents, government archives,records from secularized church institutions and writtendocuments from organizations and private persons.

Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv WiesbadenMosbacher Strasse 55, 65187 WiesbadenTel.: 0611- 88 10E-mail: poststelle@hhstaw.hessen.dewww.hauptstaatsarchiv.hessen.deReading room hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.

Hessen State Archives MarburgThe State Archives in Marburg are one of the largest andhistorically most important archives in Germany. The peri-od covered by the written documents kept here extendsfrom the 8th century to the present: official documents,files, registers and maps from the imperial abbeys ofFulda and Hersfeld, the Landgraviate of Hessen-Kassel,the Electorate of Hessen, Principality of Waldeck andmany other territories. Today, the State Archives inMarburg are responsible for the records of intermediateand lower-level authorities in the Kassel district and forthe Gießen Regional Council.

Hessen State Library WiesbadenThe Hessen State Library in Wiesbaden offers interestedresidents from Wiesbaden and the surrounding areabooks from all fields of knowledge and a wide-rangingprogramme of lectures and activities.

Hessen State Archives DarmstadtAs the regional archives for the State of Hessen, theHessen State Archives in Darmstadt are the repositoryfor written documents involving the history of southernHessen from the year 867 to the present.

Hessisches Staatsarchiv DarmstadtKarolinenplatz 364289 DarmstadtTel.: 06151-16 59 00E-mail: [email protected] room hours: Mon 9 a.m.-7:30 p.m.Tue-Thur 9 a.m.- 5:30 p.m., Fri 9 a.m.- 3 p.m.

Hessisches Staatsarchiv MarburgFriedrichsplatz 1535037 Marburg/LahnTel.: 06421-92 500E-mail: poststelle@stam.hessen.dewww.staatsarchiv-marburg.hessen.deOpening hours: Mon-Thur 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m.Fri 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Hessische Landesbibliothek WiesbadenRheinstr. 55-57 • 65185 WiesbadenTel.: 0611-33 42 672E-mail: [email protected] hours: Mon, Tue, Thur 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Wed and Fri 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.Sat 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Assembly of member states of the Confederation of the Rhine on 25 July 1806

German Language SocietyThe German Language Society’s many tasks include cul-tivating and researching the German language, monitor-ing the language’s development from a critical stand-point and issuing recommendations for everyday usage.

Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache e.V.Spiegelgasse 13, 65183 WiesbadenTel.: 0611-99 95 50E-mail: [email protected], Internet: www.gfds.de

German Academy for Language and Literature

In the years since it was founded in 1949, the GermanAcademy for Language and Literature has been devotedto cultivating the German language and German litera-ture. It brings together German-speaking authors andscholars from Germany and abroad. Its activities includeevents involving literature, language and cultural andpolitical topics, publishing and awards. The highlight ofits autumn conference is the annual award ceremony forthe Georg Büchner Prize.

Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und DichtungGlückert-Haus, Alexandraweg 23, 64287 DarmstadtTel.: 0651- 40 920E-mail: [email protected]: www.deutscheakademie.de

Social and Community Arts in Hesse 99 99

Community Art andCulture in the Region Exploring and experiencing art and culture together

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Social and Community Arts in Hessen 100 101

Summer ofCulture in HessenEvery year in the summer months, four cultural highlightspresent a diverse bundle of events in the regions. Towns,municipalities and regional action groups organize anappealing programme which naturally reflects the region-al artistic and cultural profile.

LAKS – HessenThe umbrella organization for 31 regional cultural actiongroups and community arts centres throughout thestate, LAKS – Hessen develops and organizes severalthousand cultural events with the help of its membersevery year. The gamut of activities extends from musicto cabaret and theatre all the way to literature eventsand lectures.

LAKS - HessenLandesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Kulturinitiativen undSoziokulturellen Zentren in Hessen e.V.c/o Kulturzentrum SchlachthofMombachstr. 1234127 KasselTel.: 0561-8906881E-mail: [email protected]

Photos: LAKS – Hessen

Summer of Culture Festival in Central HessenLandgraf-Philipp-Platz 3-7 • 35390 GießenTel.: 0641- 30 32 999E-mail: info@kultursommer-mittelhessen.dewww.kultursommer-mittelhessen.de

Summer of Culture Festival in Northern HessenHeinrich-Schütz-Allee 33 • 34131 KasselTel.: 05 61/9 88 39 30E-Mail: [email protected]

Summer of Culture Festival in Main-Kinzig-FuldaGeschäftsstelle c/o Main-Kinzig-KreisBarbarossastrasse 16-18 • 63571 GelnhausenTel.: 06051- 85 42 26E-mail: [email protected]

Summer of Culture Festival in Southern HessenGeschäftsstelle c/o Regierungspräsidium DarmstadtLuisenplatz 2 • 64283 DarmstadtTel.: 06151- 12 43 96E-mail: [email protected]

Notes 102 103

This publication is distributed free of charge by the Land Government of Hessen as part of its public relations work. It may notbe used by political parties, candidates or electoral assistants during an election campaign. This applies to state assembly, parli-amentary and local government elections. Improper use includes in particular the distribution of this publication at electionevents and at the information stands of political parties, as well as the insertion, printing or affixing of party political informa-tion. The distribution of this publication to third parties as a form of campaign publicity is also prohibited. It may not be used ina manner that could be construed as showing partisanship on the part of the Federal Government in favor of individual politicalgroups, even if not within the context of an upcoming election.These restrictions apply regardless of how recipients came into possession of this publication and how many copies of it theymay have. Political parties are however allowed to use this publication for instructing their own members.

Kiel

SchwerinBREMEN

HAMBURG

HannoverMagdeburg Potsdam

BERLIN

SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN

MECKLENBURG-VORPOMMERN

NIEDERSACHSEN

BRANDENBURGSACHSEN-ANHALT

DresdenErfurt

DüsseldorfSACHSEN

THÜRINGEN

RHEINLAND-PFALZ

NORDRHEIN-WESTFALEN

Mainz

SaarbrückenSAARLAND

Stuttgart

BADEN-WÜRTEMBERG

München

BAYERN

Wiesbaden

HESSEN

The Federal Republic of Germany and its States

Köln

Stuttgart

HamburgHannover

Kaiserslautern

BerlinLeipzig

MünchenNürnberg

GelsenkirchenDortmund

Primary Transportation Routes to Hessen

AutobahnFederal roadRailway line

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