When can the exhibitions be visited?

The exhibitions are open until January 28, 2027. Opening hours are Monday from 9 am to 6 pm, Tuesday and Thursday from 9 am to 4 pm, and Wednesday from 8 am to 12 pm.

What do the exhibitions cost?

Admission to both exhibitions is free.

Where are the exhibitions taking place?

The presentations are on display in the reading room of the City Archives of Erlangen at Luitpoldstraße 47. Access is via Bernhard-Plettner-Ring.

What topics do the exhibitions address?

Topics include the end of war in Erlangen, the resumption of school operations, the first Bergkirchweih after the war, housing situation, American military government, and the municipal election of May 26, 1946.

Are there guided tours or group offers?

Group visits are possible by appointment. Those interested can obtain information about further educational offers from the City Archives of Erlangen.

Who created the exhibition on city history?

The exhibition “Yesterday Must Give Way to Today. Erlangen 1945/46” was developed by students from the Albert Schweitzer Gymnasium Erlangen in collaboration with the City Archives.

Erlangen 1945/46: How a City Democratically Began Again After the War

Name: „Yesterday Must Give Way to Today. Erlangen 1945/46“ and „Erlangen between End and Beginning“
Start: 2026-10-12
End: 2027-01-28T18:00:00+01:00
Location: Stadtarchiv Erlangen - EG Lesesaal

Erlangen 1945/46: Between the End of War and Democratic New Beginning

How does a city change when the war ends and a new political order has to emerge? Two exhibitions at the City Archives of Erlangen deal with the profound transformation of the years 1945 and 1946. The focus is on life after the peaceful surrender of Erlangen on April 16, 1945, the reconstruction of public life, and the first free local election after 13 years of dictatorship.

Everyday Life between Scarcity, New Beginnings, and Occupation

The exhibition “Yesterday Must Give Way to Today. Erlangen 1945/46” was created in collaboration with students from the Albert Schweitzer Gymnasium Erlangen. Their poster exhibition focuses on concrete everyday experiences: the resumption of school operations, the first Bergkirchweih after the war, the difficult housing situation, and the collaboration with the American military government.

The historical presentation makes visible how closely political reorganization and personal lived reality were connected. Displaced persons, refugees, and returnees had to be accommodated, while administration, supply, and social life were given new structures. Documents and images provide an illustrative examination of historical sources and invite critical engagement with memory culture.

The Municipal Election of May 26, 1946

The second exhibition, “Erlangen between End and Beginning. The Municipal Election in Erlangen on May 26, 1946,” presents an archival display of the first democratic local election after Nazi rule. The election appears initially as a local event but proves to be a magnifying glass for the challenges of democratic renewal.

Unclear resident relations, movements in and out, and denazification measures shaped the political situation. The exhibition shows that democratic elections, even at the local level, require prerequisites: reliable procedures, accessible information, and a society that reorients itself after dictatorship and war.

Historical Sources as Aesthetic Experience

In the reading room of the City Archives, a concentrated exhibition atmosphere unfolds. Posters, archival materials, and historical documents connect factual information with the immediate impact of original sources. The silent spatial effect supports a slowed-down examination of the works and makes history as a cultural experience tangible.

The curation connects historical research, school project work, and cultural education. This creates not an abstract panorama of the post-war period but a local historical image that links political decisions, social tensions, and everyday hopes.

An Introduction to Erlangen's Post-War History

The two exhibitions form the beginning of a planned series by the City Archives, to central stations of Erlangen's post-war period until the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany by 2029. Visitors experience how from the end of the war arose a laborious process of political, social, and economic renewal.

The artistic experience of this historical exhibition lies in the proximity to the sources: original documents and designed presentations lead right into a time when every decision stood between past and future. Those who wish to understand Erlangen's history and reconsider the significance of democratic participation will find here an informative and compelling aesthetic experience.

Conclusion

The exhibitions at the City Archives of Erlangen turn the year 1945 into more than just a mere historical date, but into the starting point of a societal reorganization. The combination of archival exhibition, student project, and local democracy history creates cultural education with immediate relevance to the present. A visit opens new perspectives on Erlangen, memory, and democratic responsibility.