A collaborative project between the Klassik Stiftung Weimar (Museum Directorate / Cross-departmental Directorate for Digital Transformation) and the Integrated Product Design program at Coburg University
On January 22 and 23, 2026, the collaboration between the Museum Directorate, the Cross-Departmental Directorate “Digital Transformation” and the Integrated Product Design program at Coburg University will reach a new level: Building on the pilot project “Goethe-Apparat,” aspiring designers have reinterpreted and digitized Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s study and workroom. On both days, visitors to the Goethe National Museum will be able to try out prototypical interactive and immersive installations. Goethe’s original study may only be viewed in the museum, but not entered – the digital applications now open up new ways of approaching it.
Semester: Winter 2025/26
Lehrformat: Projekt mit seminaristischem Unterricht
Integriertes Produktdesign (B.A.)
Kooperationspartner: Hochschule Coburg, Klassik Stiftung Weimar
Hochschule Coburg
Prof. Dr. Michael Markert,
Darko Velazquez, M.F.A.
Laura Kathrin Ankenbauer,
Dorothee Bellinger,
Lilli Blaschke,
Luisa Eichfelder,
Matthis Kerksiek,
Moritz Kirchner,
Jagoda Pietrala,
Solvey Roth,
Daniel Sterzer,
Michael Tribus,
Sahara Wagner,
Johann Walther,
Lina Weber,
Susan Marlen Wolfram,
Michaela Zech
Klassik Stiftung Weimar
Dr. Dirk Wintergrün,
Kristina Johannes,
Alexander Methfessel,
Sophia Gröschke,
Annika Schlimm,
u.a.
Thomas Müller (Fotografien)
Digital Access to Goethe’s Study
The aim of the project is to combine state-of-the-art 3D digitization techniques with intuitive, low-threshold controls so that the digital version of Goethe’s study can be understood and experienced by a broad user group. To this end, the students are developing innovative interaction concepts that take into account design, technological, and social issues. Various proposals for presentation in the museum are being considered.
Pop-Up Presentation of Interactive Prototypes at Goethe National Museum
The two-day pop-up exhibition “Ctrl+Goethe: Next Level” will be on display on Thursday, January 22, from 2 p.m. and Friday, January 23, 2026, in the Blue Salon of the Goethe National Museum in Weimar. Admission is free. The exhibits and concepts are part of the development of an exhibition that will be on display from 2026/27 during the renovation-related closure of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s residence.
With 31 museums and places of experience as well as 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Klassik Stiftung Weimar is one of the largest and most important cultural institutions in Germany. The cities of Weimar and Coburg were dynastically linked from the 15th to the 19th century, shaping the connection between these two institutions.
The Integrated Product Design program at Coburg University is characterized by a close link between design, technology, and social relevance, which is made visible in practical collaborations such as this one. In the summer of 2024, students presented their first interactive concepts for the “Goethe Apparat” media station under the title “Ctrl+Goethe.”
Titelfoto: Lilli Blaschke
Plakat: Matthis Kerksiek
Links:
- Goethe-Apparat, Klassik Stiftung Weimar
- CTRL+Goethe Projekt Sommer 2024
- KSW Interaktiv Projekt Sommer 2023
- Virtuell durch Goethes Arbeitszimmer, Digitus.art
Sources:
- Klassik Stiftung Weimar (2026) “CTRL+Goethe- Next Level,” Klassik Stiftung Weimar, 12 January. Available at: https://www.klassik-stiftung.de/ihr-besuch/veranstaltung/ctrl-goethe-next-level/ (Accessed: January 12, 2026).
