»Continue Telling the Tale!« -
Double Anniversary Year

The working copies of the »Children’s and Household Tales«, full of handwritten notes and corrections by the Brothers Grimm—including the first edition from 1812/15—form the heart of GRIMMWELT’s permanent exhibition. These five volumes, known as the hand copies, were recorded in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register in 2005.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of this recognition, GRIMMWELT will host a day full of events themed around the tales. Highlights include the storytelling tour »Summer Joy in Fairy Tales« and a »Magical Printing Workshop« for children.

Short guided tours will offer insights into the Memory of the World program and how the Grimms worked with their manuscripts. Visitors can discover new perspectives on these historical treasures. This part of the exhibition has also been recently expanded to include a new animated film and an interactive media table—inviting visitors to dive deeper, explore,and make their own discoveries.

The new special exhibition follows on directly from the theme of »Continue Telling the Tale« by exploring how fairy tale motifs are reimagined—this time through the world of comics. Whether in the original Grimm tales or in contemporary graphic stories, animals acting as humans take center stage. Together with art historian and comic expert Dr. Alexander Braun, GRIMMWELT traces the role of anthropomorphic animal figures in the comic and illustration culture of the past centuries:

»It is astonishing how little attention literature or art history has given to the humanized animal in comics. There is a long tradition—from Goethe and Jean de La Fontaine all the way back to Aesop—of fables and folk tales. Comics of the 20th and 21st centuries are the culmination of this tradition, a grand finale, a firework of storytelling.«
(Dr. Alexander Braun, curator of the exhibition)

Original artworks offer insight into the humor, craft, and evolution of comics from the 19th century to today. The exhibition »I, ANIMAL. From the Big Bad Wolf to Donald Duck – Animals in Comics« opens on August 22, 2025, with a dedicated children’s opening and a very special guest, renowned British comic artist Mark Buckingham, who will join GRIMMWELT for the occasion.

A richly illustrated catalogue will accompany the show. The exhibition will also feature an engaging program of events, interactive stations, media elements, and a special children’s publication—the beloved »Rätselspur« (»Puzzle Trail«).

The exhibition is funded by the documenta City of Kassel and the hessische kultur stiftung, the »Rätselspur« by the Fieseler Stiftung Kassel.

Celebrate and pass it on – GRIMMWELT turns 10, and the whole city is invited! On September 4, GRIMMWELT celebrates its 10th anniversary, and on September 6, the Kassel Museum Night returns. To mark both occasions, we are throwing a joyful three-day celebration from September 4–6 at GRIMMWELT.

The highlight of the festivities—and of the entire anniversary year—will be a participatory art project that puts the public front and center: The Inside Out Project, a global initiative by French artist and photographer JR, will come to GRIMMWELT Kassel under the title »GRIMMWELT Utopia«.
From September 4 to 6, the Inside Out team will arrive with their iconic photo truck, inviting visitors, Kassel locals, and passers-by to have their portraits taken and share their personal visions and wishes for the future of GRIMMWELT. Each participant can have their photo snapped in the mobile studio. The portraits will be printed on large-format posters and displayed in and around GRIMMWELT—turning the building and its surroundings into a living gallery of faces and ideas.

This creates a diverse and vibrant portrait of GRIMMWELT’s visitors—visible from afar and shaped by the community itself. »GRIMMWELT Utopia« gives the people of Kassel a public voice and celebrates the richness of their perspectives. As JR originally put it:

»I wish for you to stand up for what you care about by participating in a global art
project, and together we'll turn the world... INSIDE OUT.«

JR is an internationally acclaimed artist who uses photography to create monumental public art. His aim is always to spark curiosity, challenge one’s perception, and bring people into conversation. Since he launched the Inside Out Project in 2011, it has been realized in over 150 countries— from Times Square to the Pyramids of Giza, from Tower Bridge to the North Pole.

»Inside Out Project – GRIMMWELT-Utopia«
September 4 | 10 am–1 pm and 2 pm–5 pm
September 5 | 10 am–1 pm and 2 pm–5 pm
September 6 | 1 pm–4 pm and 5 pm–8 pm


Anniversary Ceremony

On September 4, GRIMMWELT Kassel will host a formal anniversary ceremony to mark its 10th birthday. Among the invited speakers are Timon Gremmels (Hessian State Minister for Science and Research, Art and Culture), Dr. Sven Schoeller (Mayor of the City of Kassel), and Prof. Dr. Ute Clement (President of the University of Kassel). The event will be accompanied by live music performed by the Louis Spohr Academy of Music of the City of Kassel.

The Building as the Main Character –
Collaboration with the Animation Class of the Arts Academy Kassel

Another special highlight of the anniversary program is a collaboration with the Animation Class at the Arts Academy Kassel. GRIMMWELT invited the students to bring the iconic building on the Weinberg to life on film. Designed by the Aachen-based architecture firm kadawittfeldarchitektur, GRIMMWELT—with its limestone façade—blends harmoniously into the terraced park landscape.

The animation students explored the building both inside and out, creating playful and
imaginative short films that blur the lines between reality and fiction. The result is six unique, artistically experimental films offering fresh perspectives on the structure and spirit of GRIMMWELT. These shorts will be shown on the big screen, inside the museum, on the GRIMMWELT website, across social media, and during the anniversary celebrations.

In his bestselling book »German – A Declaration of Love«, Roland Kaehlbrandt humorously and insightfully debunked the myth that German is a difficult and clunky language. In his new work, set to be released in early October, he tackles another common misconception: that German is lacking in beauty, melody, elegance, wit, and charm.

Kaehlbrandt’s upcoming book »On the Beauty of the German Language: A Rediscovery« reveals just how much elegance and richness the language holds. He shows that German can be sonorous, subtle, vivid, graceful—and yes, even witty.

(Program subject to change)

»Leserei« is a space dedicated to the analog world of books. With flexible furniture and a curated selection of books, magazines, and graphic novels—some selected and reviewed by Kassel school students—it’s a place for browsing, reading, or deep study. It embodies GRIMMWELT as a house of language and literature—open and shaped by its public. Opening in late 2025.»Leserei« is a space dedicated to the analog world of books. With flexible furniture and a curated selection of books, magazines, and graphic novels—some selected and reviewed by Kassel school students—it’s a place for browsing, reading, or deep study. It embodies GRIMMWELT as a house of language and literature—open and shaped by its public. Opening in late 2025.

The »Leserei« is supported by the Foundations of the City of Kassel and the PwC Foundation.

»Immergrün« is a virtual, immersive fairy-tale forest. Using projections, stamping techniques, and mixed media, visitors—especially children—can step into fairy-tale worlds and even create their own characters. This playful installation adds a new dimension to the fairy-tale section of the exhibition. Opening October 2025.

»Immergrün« is funded by the Aventis Foundation.

»Weitererzählen« —named after the year’s campaign motto—reimagines the presentation of the Grimms’ Children’s and Household Tales hand copies, which belong to UNESCO’s Memory of the World. A new interactive media table lets visitors explore the Grimms’ own annotated copies of the famous tales and see how they worked with the texts. Available from June 2025.

»Weitererzählen« is funded by the Association of Literary Societies and Memorials (ALG), the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Museumsverband Hessen e.V., and the Hessian Ministry of Science and the Arts.