Right-wing extremism - Bavaria Exhibition 2026 on the Rise of National Socialism
The Bavarian Exhibition 2026 will focus on the rise of National Socialism and the situation in Bavaria in the 1920s. Conceived by a German-Austrian expert team, as Museum Director Richard Loibl announced, the show is scheduled to be displayed at the Bavarian History Museum in Regensburg from July 2026 to July 2027.
The exhibition will be based on an exhibition in the Lower Austria Museum in 2020, which placed Adolf Hitler's youth in the social-political context of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy around 1900. Among the exhibition pieces will be a poster from Hitler's first election campaign journey, which took him to support Austrian National Socialists in Innsbruck, Salzburg, St. Pölten, and Vienna in the fall of 1920.
Culture Minister Markus Blume (CSU) stated that the exhibition makes an essential contribution to democracy education and extremism prevention. It shows "the interconnections of right-wing circles across borders and demonstrates how political instability and extremism can bring down a democracy."
Bavaria's Antisemitism Commissioner Ludwig Spaenle referred to the current relevance of the exhibition. Although the situation in the Weimar Republic does not equal that in Germany and Bavaria in 2024, it is necessary to remain vigilant - for instance, in the face of right-wing forces in the EU Parliament.
- The focus of the Bavarian Exhibition 2026, to be held in Regensburg, will be the ascent of Adolf Hitler and National Socialism in Bavaria during the 1920s.
- The exhibition, inspired by a previous one in the Lower Austria Museum, will include a historical poster from Hitler's first election campaign journey in the fall of 1920, showcasing his support for Austrian National Socialists in various cities.
- Minister Blume, from the CSU, emphasized the importance of the exhibition in boosting democracy education and extremism prevention, highlighting the connections between right-wing circles across borders and the potential threats to democracy.
- Spaenle, Bavaria's Antisemitism Commissioner, mentioned the current relevance of the exhibition, calling attention to the importance of vigilance in confronting right-wing extremism, even in the context of the EU Parliament.
- Museum-goers interested in understanding the rise of National Socialism and its impact on Bavarian and German history should mark their calendars for the Bavarian History Museum's 2026-2027 exhibitions, centered around these crucial themes.
