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Special Exhibition, Reiss-Engelhorn-Museums 2010-2011

  • Reconstruction
  • Digital Environment
  • Charakter Animation
  • 3D Animation
Die Staufer und Italien
The Staufers and Italy

For the exhibition “Die Staufer und Italien | The Staufers and Italy
” at the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museums in Mannheim, we reconstructed and revived the life and times of the Staufer dynasty, one of the most significant European ruling families of the High Middle Ages. The exhibition, held from September 19, 2010, to February 20, 2011, drew nearly 237,000 visitors, making it the most successful exhibition in the museum’s history and one of the top ten medieval exhibitions in Germany since 1977.

The exhibition featured reconstructions of Worms, Milan, and Palermo, along with the iconic Castel del Monte. It showcased the Staufers’ rise to power from their beginnings in the 12th century to their height in the 13th century. Key exhibits included the Throne King from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, a stone sculpture from Northern Italy circa 1230, and the Staurothek from Cosenza, a magnificent cross reliquary from the court workshops in Palermo, believed to have been a gift from Emperor Frederick II.

Part of the Staufer Year 2010, celebrated by 41 southern German cities, the exhibition was accompanied by a comprehensive program involving 23 historically significant sites in the Rhine-Neckar region, emphasizing their importance in Staufer history through various events and activities.

Under the leadership of the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museums and in collaboration with the University of Heidelberg, the exhibition brought together contributions from numerous scientific and cultural institutions. It was under the patronage of the prime ministers of Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Hesse. The project was coordinated by Alfried Wieczorek, with scientific guidance from medieval historians Bernd Schneidmüller and Stefan Weinfurter.

Our reconstructions provided an immersive experience, highlighting the significant influence of the Staufer dynasty on the political and cultural landscape of medieval Europe.