Is admission to the exhibition free?

Yes, according to the event information, the exhibition is free.

Where does the exhibition take place?

At the City Archive Erlangen, ground floor reading room, Luitpoldstraße 47, 91052 Erlangen.

How long will the exhibition be on display?

The exhibition is announced to be on display until September 24, 2026.

Is the City Archive accessible?

According to the city's accessibility overview, the City Archive is accessible via an elevator.

Are there official online channels for the City Archive?

Yes, the City Erlangen refers to Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and the official website.

Who is the visit especially suitable for?

For art and culture enthusiasts, school classes, groups, and anyone interested in culture of remembrance and historical education.

A Quiet Exhibition About Courage, Conscience, and Resistance at the City Archive Erlangen

Name: Exhibition "What Could They Do? Resistance Against National Socialism 1933-1945"
Start: 2026-09-10T18:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-09-10T18:00:00+02:00
Location: Stadtarchiv Erlangen - EG Lesesaal

Making Resistance Visible: An Exhibition About Courage, Conscience, and Scope for Action

The traveling exhibition What Could They Do? Resistance Against National Socialism 1939-1945 at the City Archive Erlangen provides a precise, compelling look at the history of resistance. It does not ask about heroic narratives, but about the scope for action in a dictatorship where open protest was life-threatening. Admission is free, and the presentation can be seen until September 24, 2026. ([erlangen-news.de](https://www.erlangen-news.de/veranstaltungen/ausstellungen/ausstellung-was-konnten-sie-tun-widerstand-gegen-den-nationalsozialismus-1933-1945-26080213213572))

Historical Accuracy Instead of Simplifying Legends

The exhibition shows the diversity of resistant actions: open counter-speech, silent refusal, help for the persecuted, and political opposition. It is precisely this breadth that makes its educational value significant. The presentation comes from the environment of the Memorial to the German Resistance and the Foundation July 20, 1944; thus it stands for a curated culture of remembrance that closely connects sources, contexts, and moral questions. ([erlangen-news.de](https://www.erlangen-news.de/veranstaltungen/ausstellungen/ausstellung-was-konnten-sie-tun-widerstand-gegen-den-nationalsozialismus-1933-1945-26080213213572))

A Place for Research and Reflection

The City Archive Erlangen itself is a fitting location for this exhibition: it preserves local historical records, works with collections, reading rooms, and archival mediation, and as a municipal archive, it is a place for research access. This creates a special artistic experience in the broader sense of cultural education for visitors: not aesthetic overwhelming, but concentrated examination of historical documents, panels, and testimonies. ([erlangen.de](https://erlangen.de/amt/66426))

Spatial Effect and Exhibition Atmosphere

In the ground floor reading room, a calm, factual exhibition atmosphere unfolds. This restraint sharpens the focus on the topic. Documents, biographies, and historical imagery create a close connection to the era without staging pathos. This way, memory is not museum-like and frozen, but experienceable as a present responsibility. ([erlangen-news.de](https://www.erlangen-news.de/veranstaltungen/ausstellungen/ausstellung-was-konnten-sie-tun-widerstand-gegen-den-nationalsozialismus-1933-1945-26080213213572))

Education, Guidance, Context

The exhibition is suitable for culturally and historically interested visitors as well as school classes, groups, and anyone wishing to engage with National Socialism, resistance, and culture of remembrance. The topic touches on questions of political education, cultural education, and historical judgment. Those who engage with the exhibition encounter not just history, but also the boundaries between adaptation, civil courage, and resistance. ([erlangen-news.de](https://www.erlangen-news.de/veranstaltungen/ausstellungen/ausstellung-was-konnten-sie-tun-widerstand-gegen-den-nationalsozialismus-1933-1945-26080213213572))

Conclusion

What Could They Do? is an exhibition that compellingly shows how multifaceted resistance was during National Socialism. It is worth visiting for its historical accuracy, calm presentation, and strong educational claim. Those who experience Erlangen's City Archive in this form gain insights that resonate far beyond the exhibition space. A visit is highly recommended. ([erlangen-news.de](https://www.erlangen-news.de/veranstaltungen/ausstellungen/ausstellung-was-konnten-sie-tun-widerstand-gegen-den-nationalsozialismus-1933-1945-26080213213572))