Statements

Welcome to the creative centre of Hesse!

The Frankfurt Rhine-Main region stands for diversity, openness, internationality and innovative strength. Our strong economic, financial and creative location, excellent scientific and academic landscape, culture and architecture, embedded in attractive local recreation areas, make this region unique – and the ideal host for the World Design Capital 2026. As Minister-President of Hesse and patron of the event, I am delighted that our metropolitan region has been awarded this title and will be able to show a global audience how design and creativity can bring about lasting positive change in our society.

In 2026, we will also be celebrating 80 years of Hesse and its successful history. The reconstruction after 1945 was particularly dedicated to the development of liveable communities as places of democracy and cohesion. Under the motto ‘Design for Democracy. Atmospheres for a better life’, the World Design Capital 2026 picks up on this idea and shows how designed living spaces strengthen our community and create good coexistence.

The vision and mission are to find solutions that bring society together – for example in the areas of sustainability, education, urban development and participation. Design is the driving force behind innovation, social cohesion and democratic processes. World Design Capital 2026 provides food for thought and invites the international community to work together towards a free, open and cooperative future.

The Hessian state government expressly shares this aspiration, because especially in times when our democracy is increasingly being questioned, a free, diverse and at the same time unifying culture is all the more important. It is with good reason that art and culture have constitutional status in Hesse and are part of public services. The Hessian state government strengthens them through a variety of initiatives and programmes: from supporting cultural projects and institutions to targeted efforts to promote the creative industries and innovation among young artists to designing attractive living spaces through urban development and architecture. We create freedom, enable participation and provide targeted impetus for an open society.

I cordially invite you to be part of this new beginning and to actively participate in the World Design Capital 2026 in Frankfurt Rhine-Main.

Let us show together how design improves quality of life, connects people and drives social change. Let us shape tomorrow together!

Yours sincerely,
Boris Rhein
Minister-President of Hesse

Welcome to the World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026!

The awarding of this internationally renowned title to our region fills me with pride. It builds on a long democratic tradition: in 1848, the first German National Assembly met in Frankfurt’s Paulskirche – a symbol of freedom, participation and new beginnings. Later, during the Weimar Republic, which was founded on the values and ideas of the Paulskirche Constitution, the artists of Darmstadt’s Mathildenhöhe developed visionary concepts for a new way of life; the “New Frankfurt” of the 1920s continued this spirit. The Frankfurt RheinMain region has always been a place of reflection and reinvention. With confidence and creativity, the people here have shaped the development of our cities and our society.

Today, we are living in a time of uncertainty – in matters of climate, health, politics, society and the economy. Many people feel a loss of confidence and seek new direction. This is precisely why we want to develop new perspectives on how we wish to shape our lives. Under the motto “Design for Democracy. Atmospheres for a better life”, we will come together in 2026 to seek positive visions for the future – visions that offer guidance and inspiration for actively shaping both our society and the future of democracy. After all, what defines democracy as a form of governance is that it empowers everyone to take an active role in shaping it. Design – in the sense of creative and social design – serves as a democratic tool: it provides orientation, enables participation, strengthens tolerance, and opens up perspectives for a shared future.

The World Design Capital 2026 will showcase the exceptional diversity of our region: strong cities and municipalities, outstanding universities, cultural institutions and international companies, as well as a vibrant creative scene. These are the best foundations for enhancing the quality of life, social cohesion, shared responsibility and creative collaboration in Frankfurt RheinMain – now and in the future. I am confident that, through the World Design Capital 2026, our region will generate lasting impulses that will enrich it far beyond the project year.

You are all warmly invited to take part: explore the projects, join the discussions, and celebrate a year full of ideas from design, culture, science, business and everyday life. Together, let us show how democratic design not only shapes history, but also the future – for an open and liveable Frankfurt RheinMain.

Yours sincerely,
Mike Josef
Lord Mayor of the City of Frankfurt am Main

Dear residents,

Frankfurt RheinMain will be the World Design Capital in 2026 – a wonderful sign of international recognition! We want to celebrate and shape this together with you. As Frankfurt’s City Councillor for Culture and Science, I am especially looking forward to showcasing the cultural diversity of our city and region. Because culture is more than a calling card – it encompasses artistic development, participation, and democracy.

Frankfurt is often praised for its banks, its airport, or its skyline. Yet, it thrives just as much on its many museums, its outstanding theatres and festivals, its international research, and its vibrant creative industries. This diversity is our strength – and indeed, one of the key reasons we have been awarded the title World Design Capital. Culture and creativity create spaces where we can debate, imagine the future, and come together as a society.

Under the motto “Design for Democracy – Atmospheres for a better life”, we want to demonstrate in 2026 how design can have a direct impact on how we live together. There are many cultural spaces where democracy manifests in everyday life: places where ideas take shape, spark debate, and create “atmospheres” that bring people together. One striking example is the temporary relocation of the Schirn Kunsthalle from the Römerberg to the restored Dondorf printing house at the future Kulturcampus Bockenheim – a joint step toward shaping our future. This move benefits everyone: local residents, the district, and the city’s museum landscape as a whole. And importantly, it also gives a previously vacant building a sustainable new use.

I warmly invite you to be part of this special year – by visiting an exhibition, contributing creatively, or simply through curiosity and encounters. Together, we will make Frankfurt RheinMain visible to the world – not only as a financial hub, but above all as a forward-looking city of culture and ideas, well beyond 2026.

I look forward to your participation and support – for Frankfurt and the region, to set a positive example in Germany and across the world.

Yours sincerely,
Dr. Ina Hartwig
City Councillor for Culture and Science

Dear guests of World Design Capital 2026, whether you have travelled near or far,

Art and culture make important contributions to the quality, attractiveness and cohesion of the highly networked Rhine-Main region, with Frankfurt am Main at its centre. They shape our thinking, our living spaces, our community and thus our self-image in democracy in many different ways. As an economically strong metropolitan region, Frankfurt-Rhine-Main is anchored locally and internationally. Actively shaping this strength is a long-term shared commitment and sustainable perspective for us.

The projects developed in the context of World Design Capital 2026 under the motto ‘Design for Democracy – Atmospheres for a better life’ therefore combine design and art with central questions of our individual and social coexistence. As a regional cultural promotion infrastructure, the Frankfurt Rhine-Main Cultural Fund is a key partner for numerous institutions and projects and is one of the largest sponsors of World Design Capital 2026. Under this umbrella, it continuously supports and initiates excellent, innovative and participatory art and cultural projects as well as cultural education projects, both on an ongoing basis and on an ad hoc basis. All these projects are implemented in close cooperation with numerous project partners and local authorities throughout the region.

The spectrum of contributions is diverse and aimed at an equally diverse audience. You are cordially invited and welcome to discover Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main region, to get actively involved and to network. We would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone involved and look forward to fruitful mutual exchanges and encounters.

Yours sincerely,
Dr. Susanne Völker
Managing Director of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main Cultural Fund