As part of World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026, the WerkRaum will serve as an open forum for WDC projects, dialogue sessions, and events from May 2 to October 31, 2026. The sam – Stadtmuseum am Markt is also participating with individual events and the "glass museum."

Community forms the foundation of every urban society. In May, WerkRaum Wiesbaden is exploring the question of what connects people in a city—and how a sense of belonging is fostered. 

The focus is on initiatives, places, and projects that promote collective action: from sports clubs to urban gardening projects to cultural events. They demonstrate the diverse ways community is experienced in Wiesbaden and the role that engagement, interaction, and participation play in this.  

With a full-day opening program, WerkRaum launched its first thematic phase in early May 2026. Discussions, presentations, and group activities invite visitors to get to know the new space and actively help shape it.

To mark the 100th anniversary of SV Wehen, an interactive exhibition invites visitors to explore the club’s history from 1926 to the present day. The exhibition combines the club’s history with issues of sustainable development, while also highlighting the regional ties between SV Wehen Wiesbaden and Brita. 

The pop-up exhibition "CONSUMPTION and ME – From Department Stores to Shopping Apps" explores the relationship between consumption and us—and our democracy—from the early days of department stores to current issues surrounding online shopping, sustainability, and social participation. It is both a history museum and a future lab: thus, it not only looks back but also invites visitors to participate and reflect. Together, visions for the future of consumption are to be developed and discussed. Project partners: Janine Seitz, futurist

The sam – Stadtmuseum am Markt transforms into the “Transparent Museum” at WerkRaum Wiesbaden. The director and staff members offer insights into their work with and on the exhibits, display objects, and are available for conversation. In this way, WerkRaum also becomes an open space for discussion about city history, the collection, and museum work.

In her bachelor’s thesis collection, Lea Issinger incorporated emotional regulation techniques into clothing. These techniques are derived from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and are used in psychotherapy to reduce stress in patients with various conditions. These techniques can engage all the senses and provide different types of stimulation. Examples include spiky balls, heat-retaining ointment wraps, chili candies, and scented compresses.

Part of the skill collection is also the ability to redesign or modify the integrated skills yourself to prevent wear and tear. Additionally, the DIY aspect offers another skill. The thread buttons from my collection are particularly well-suited for this.

Everyone is warmly invited to join in the button-making and enjoy a nice chat!

Bormass, Blumenthal, Horten, Hertie: Kirchgasse and Langgasse were once the beating heart of Wiesbaden’s department store scene. But what has become of the glory days of the “department store mile”? Join consumer culture expert Janine Seitz on a 60-minute journey of discovery. We’ll look behind the facades—from Art Nouveau splendor to the painful history of “Aryanization” during the Nazi era, through the economic miracle, and on to today’s vacant storefronts. We’ll pause at the places where Jewish families once invented modern shopping before they were persecuted and dispossessed. A walking tour exploring the evolution of consumer culture—and the stories of the people who shaped it. 

• Registration recommended (limited spaces) at infokonsummuseumde or by phone at 0176-99806148

• Meeting point: "KONSUM und ICH" exhibition at WerkRaum Wiesbaden, followed by a walk across Mauritiusplatz to the Galeria Kaufhof (formerly Karstadt), Kaufhof, and LuisenForum department stores 

• Suggested contribution: 5.00 euros – pay what you can

• Under 18: free · Groups by request

On May 30, starting at 12 p.m., the candidates for the Cultural Advisory Board election will introduce themselves. Here you can get to know the many diverse candidates running for the board. After the introductions (and during them), you’ll have the opportunity to talk with the cultural representatives.

Admission to WerkRaum is free. 

The schedule for the presentation is organized by cultural category:

12:00 p.m. Welcome
12:15 p.m. Film, Photography, and Electronic Media
12:25 p.m. Music
12:55 p.m. Performing Arts
1:10 p.m. Visual Arts
1:35 p.m. Cultural Heritage, City History and Customs
 1:55 p.m. Literature Category 2:00 p.m. Sociocultural Category 2:15 p.m. Non-category-specific seats
3:30 p.m. Closing

The candidates have already introduced themselves with photos and text on the Cultural Advisory Board’s website. Click this link to access the photo gallery (and all other information regarding the Cultural Advisory Board election): https://www.wiesbaden.de/kultur/kultur-machen/kulturbeirat/kulturbeiratswahl/kulturbeiratswahl

If you have any questions about the event, please feel free to contact the Cultural Advisory Board office: kulturbeiratwiesbadende; 0611 / 31 – 4475