When does the event take place?

The event is scheduled for Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 4 PM.

Where do the exhibitions take place?

The presentations will be on view in the ground floor reading room of the City Archives Erlangen at Luitpoldstraße 47. The entrance is located at Bernhard-Plettner-Ring.

What are the admission fees?

Admission to the exhibitions is free.

What topics are covered in the exhibitions?

The exhibitions cover Erlangen's post-war everyday life 1945/46, the American military government, the resumption of school operations, the first Bergkirchweih, and the municipal election of May 26, 1946.

How long will the exhibitions be on display?

According to the City of Erlangen, the two exhibitions will be open until January 28, 2027.

Are there guided tours or group offers?

Group visits can be arranged. Information about additional tours or educational offers will follow.

Erlangen 1945/46: Discover the Democratic Renewal at the City Archives

Name: "Yesterday Must Give Way to Today. Erlangen 1945/46" and "Erlangen between End and Beginning"
Start: 2026-10-13T16:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-10-13T18:00:00+02:00
Location: Stadtarchiv Erlangen - EG Lesesaal

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

In the reading room of the Erlangen City Archives, two exhibitions meet that make visible the profound transformation of the city after the end of World War II. The presentations focus on Erlangen between April 16, 1945, and the first free municipal election on May 26, 1946 – a time of political upheaval, reorganization, and cautious new beginnings.

A City in Transition

On April 16, 1945, the war in Erlangen ended with the peaceful surrender of the city. Buildings and infrastructure largely remained intact, but social and political life faced a radical new beginning. The exhibitions tell the story of the elimination of Nazi structures, the American occupation forces, and the difficult organization of daily life.

Everyday Life, School, and Bergkirchweih

The exhibition "Yesterday Must Give Way to Today. Erlangen 1945/46" was created in collaboration with students from the Albert Schweitzer Gymnasium Erlangen. Their posters illuminate the resumption of school operations, the housing situation, the first Bergkirchweih after the war, and the cooperation with the American military government. The historical examination combines source work with cultural education and direct access to the city's history.

The First Free Municipal Election After 13 Years

At the center of the second presentation is the municipal election of May 26, 1946. Under difficult conditions – characterized by arrivals and departures, billeting, and denazification measures – this election became a touchstone for the democratic renewal. The archival exhibition shows how conditional democratic participation at the local level was immediately after the dictatorship.

Archives as a Space of Experience

Documents, posters, and historical contexts create a concentrated exhibition atmosphere. The presentation makes history visible not as an abstract epoch but as a concrete experience of people: in administrative acts, political decisions, school everyday life, and the laborious return to public life. The city archives thus become a place of aesthetic experience, historical orientation, and collective memory.

Conclusion: Visitors can expect a precise, vivid insight into Erlangen's post-war period and the beginnings of democratic self-governance. Those who want to understand how a city regained social order after war and dictatorship will experience an impressive artistic journey between archival exhibitions, poster displays, and local memory culture.