The 1960s in Baden-Württemberg
The 1960s are deeply embedded in our collective memory. A decade of seemingly endless possibilities and profound social change, shaped by events such as student movements, the Vietnam War, Woodstock, sexual self-determination, and the rise of a new youth culture. In 1964, Bob Dylan sang “The times they are a-changin’,” becoming the voice of an entire generation.
The special exhibition at the Haus der Geschichte Baden-Württemberg, “Because Times Are Changing – The 1960s in Baden-Württemberg,” references this famous Dylan song and immerses visitors in a decade of upheaval through a media installation spanning the entire exhibition space. At the entrance, song lyrics by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and Joy Fleming offer opportunities for personal associations and provide an initial impression of the ideas and thoughts of the era.
The spatially open exhibition is divided into six areas in which sociocultural transformations become visible. Exhibits from across the region show how the changes of the 1960s also shaped southwestern Germany, bringing global trends closer to the visitor. In addition, listening stations play live features and interviews with contemporary witnesses.
Each exhibition area has its own stage, where contemporary objects take on the role of representatives: clothing items pose on runways, musical instruments have their grand appearance, and images and posters form a protest march.
Large-scale film projections expand the range of themes into a virtual dimension and embed the objects in their historical context. Chronology is staged audiovisually throughout the entire exhibition space. Political and cultural milestones such as John F. Kennedy’s speech in Berlin, Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream,” or the first moon landing are brought to life and place the local perspective in an international context.
Through the subtle interplay of regional exhibits and international media, an immersive experience is created that allows visitors to adopt the perspective of people in Baden-Württemberg in the 1960s and understand the extraordinary spirit of this era.
