Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain

Demokratische Räume

Neu-Isenburg addresses the concept of “democratic spaces” through two focal points: firstly, the theme of the Third Place, public architecture as a social space, and its participatory potential.

The Hugenottenhalle aims to strengthen its role as a Third Place. Inspired by comparable concepts in the Netherlands, a kind of urban “living room” is to be established. This directly relates to the planned refurbishment and reorientation of the Hugenottenhalle, with the aim of developing it into an open, vibrant cultural and educational centre. An activity day is planned for 24 February 2026. Visitors can become creative and participate themselves: at several stations, houses and rooms can be designed using planning software, or new worlds can be invented in a Lego construction area. The day concludes with the theatre play “Franziska Linkerhand”. The activity day aims to reflect on public spaces and architectures through the interplay of functionality, aesthetic and ideological ambition, use, and social practice.

The Stadtmuseum Haus zum Löwen, on the other hand, focuses on the theme of craft, (industrial) design and fashion as part of cultural practice and negotiation. The detachment or fixation of forms, styles, and structures reveals which aspects of architecture, fashion, and design were abandoned or further developed in response to contemporary historical circumstances, and how they shape social coexistence today. In doing so, the city and craft history is examined more closely. The Huguenots, who founded Neu-Isenburg after fleeing France, brought with them, among other things, textile and leather-processing craftsmanship. In the second half of the 19th century, further industrial sectors and services were added, supplying major companies in Frankfurt and the region. Building on this, a lecture series is planned entitled “Unboxing the Everyday. The Democracy Behind Things – Design that Works”. Objects, often inconspicuous, guide our behaviour and possibilities. Production and price – and therefore accessibility – are important factors. Thus, democracy does not arise only in institutions, but also through design and consumption. Each individual lecture will examine an object from our everyday history in more detail. The project combines historical dimensions with current topics. In addition, an exhibition of designs and models by students from the Department of Fashion at the Hochschule für Gestaltung (HfG) Offenbach is planned. This will be supplemented by AI-generated fashion photography, which, in combination, raises fundamental questions about creativity, originality, participation, and co-determination.

Organisers are the departments of Culture, the Culture and Education Centre, and Urban Revitalisation of the City of Neu-Isenburg. As part of their public cultural and educational mission, they organise theatre, concerts, lectures, exhibitions, festivals and parties, as well as research and educational activities in the museums.