Hotspot Bavaria: Hitler and the Struggle for Democracy

For the Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte in Regensburg, gewerkdesign designed the 2026 Bavaria Exhibition: ‘Hotspot Bavaria: Hitler and the Struggle for Democracy’. The exhibition focuses on the years 1919 to 1923 in Bavaria, during which Adolf Hitler worked his way up from being a bystander to a minor player and to the leading role, and on the political and social circumstances that allowed this to happen.

A stage-like exhibition design in five acts
We staged the history exhibition in the style of a theatre, divided into five acts, in which numerous participants ‘act out’ the story of radicalisation. The theatrical, multimedia presentation makes a complex political topic accessible to a wide audience. From a central auditorium, the ‘hotspot’, visitors look out through five stage portals onto the five walk-through scenes. The scenes are framed by a large backdrop and feature historical objects, photographs and documents, as well as contemporary texts and audiovisual content. Visitors move through the scenes and become part of the set themselves. The adjoining ‘backstage’ areas contain in-depth information on the key moments in history.

Architectural and multimedia design elements enhance the staging
The exhibition structures on the front stages are finished to a high standard and resemble stage sets. The rear stages have a backstage feel: the frames are partially open and painted with matt emulsion paint. Here, the exhibition structure is pragmatic: Joints, stabilisers and reinforcements are left visible, made from simple black theatre battens. In addition, a cinematic media element defines the space. A projection strip, suspended from the ceiling and running along the walls above the exhibition structures, ties the scenography together spatially. The projection strip is divided into sections corresponding to the scenes in front of it and supports their content with moving images consisting of both historical and contemporary design elements.