Designed in Hanau

Have you ever wondered who designed the cutlery for your meals, the tea set and coffee maker for your morning routine, the lamps in your study or the wallpaper in your living room? Have you ever heard of design classics such as mono, Sintrax, Kaiser idell or Jardin des Plantes? You don’t have to travel far to find such innovative designs. Designed in Hanau takes you on a journey through the formative history and future ideas behind the products and the people behind them.

The exhibition showcases well-known and contemporary, innovative and, at times, quirky designs and products created by designers with links to Hanau. They were either born or trained here, have worked here, or have a connection to the region. Alternatively, the exhibition features design products that were manufactured in Hanau.

The range extends from everyday objects such as cutlery, crockery and kitchen utensils, through to suitcases, lamps, wallpaper, furniture and home furnishings, right through to board games and digital design. Current design ideas are showcased through final-year projects from the Brüder Grimm Berufsakademie Hanau (BGBA).

The Hanau Academy of Art plays a significant role as a second institution. World-renowned industrial and product designers such as Christian Dell, Peter Raacke and Wilhelm Wagenfeld were trained here. We associate them with the Kaiser-Idell lamps, the ‘mono’ cutlery set and toolbox, the Wagenfeld lamp, and the ‘Max & Moritz’ salt and pepper shakers. Design sketches and drawings by Hugo Leven, August and Annie Offterdinger, Jean Wanger and Hans Haus also attract attention. In addition, the colourful product designs – including wallpapers, paints and furniture – by Lars Contzen, the world-renowned product designer based in Großauheim, are on display. Immerse yourself in the world of Hanau’s design history.

The Hanau Municipal Museums are a public institution whose core mission is to preserve, research and communicate Hanau's cultural heritage. We work together with, for example, Radwerk, the German Goldsmiths' House, the Hessian Forestry Museum, the Drawing Academy and the Brothers Grimm Vocational Academy.