Brennpunkt Bayern – Bavarian State Exhibition 2026

A Political State Exhibition in a Fragile Era

The Bavarian State Exhibition 2026 emphasizes democratic politics. 'Brennpunkt Bayern. Hitler and the Struggle for Democracy' illuminates the early 1920s, when the young Weimar Republic threatened to collapse under economic crises and political violence. The focus: Bavaria as a focal point, where the National Socialists established their first strongholds, where the failed Hitler Putsch occurred in 1923, and where the judiciary reacted with leniency – with fatal consequences for German democracy.

Narrated Like a Stage: Five Thematic Islands

The exhibition eschews a classic chronological sequence. Instead, the curators have chosen five 'stage sets' as the narrative structure: five thematic islands that stage the political landscape of the 1920s as scenography. This metaphorical form reflects how contemporaries like the author Lion Feuchtwanger perceived the events of the time as 'theatrical.' The exhibition draws from the works of Feuchtwanger and other contemporaries, placing their observations within their historical context.

House of Bavarian History at Donaumarkt

The venue is the House of Bavarian History at Donaumarkt 1 in Regensburg – the Bavarian state museum opened in 2019, a modern glass building directly on the Danube, opposite the World Heritage old town. It is the central museum site of the Free State and the starting point for the annual Bavarian State Exhibition, which is always held at changing locations in Bavaria – but in 2026, it is in Regensburg itself.

International Cooperation and Inclusion

The exhibition is created in collaboration with the Haus der Geschichte | Museum Niederösterreich in St. Pölten. This cooperation ensures a narrative continuity from Hitler's youth in Austria to his political rise in Bavaria. The HdBG places special emphasis on accessibility and inclusive offerings: tactile stations, audio descriptions, sign language tours, and programs in Easy Language make the exhibition accessible to a broad audience. Admission is free – a deliberate statement that education on democratic politics must be open to all.