So! Or something else? 1,200 Years of Radolfzell – Exhibition at Villa Bosch

In collaboration with the University of Konstanz and the University of Applied Sciences for Technology, Business, and Design in Konstanz, students are developing an innovative and interactive exhibition that looks back 1,200 years and, at the same time, 1,200 years into the future. **Over the course of its 1,200-year history, Radolfzell has repeatedly reinvented itself—through decisions that shaped its community, opened new paths, and closed others.** To mark the anniversary, the exhibition looks back at history and forward to the future. Which historical decisions have shaped Radolfzell, and could things have turned out differently? What challenges does the city face today, and which paths will it take?  Under the title “So! Or Otherwise? 1,200 Years of Radolfzell,” the exhibition takes these decisions as its starting point to illustrate possible pasts and possible futures. The result is a unique exhibition experience that imparts knowledge, stimulates reflection, and fosters social dialogue.  The “Milchwerk” or the “Tanke,” the “Rathaus” or the “See”—in the rooms of Villa Bosch, visitors enter familiar places and rediscover them in surprising ways. What if Radolfzell had become a university town? What if the city were once again the site of a military barracks? And what if the falling lake level were to create a land connection to Reichenau? ** Here’s to the next 1,200 years** The exhibition concludes and culminates with a time capsule. For centuries, people have preserved messages for posterity, hidden in foundation stones, church spires, or in attics. They contain things of such great significance that they are meant to endure the test of time and may only be opened in the distant future. The exhibition takes up this tradition and asks the question: What should Radolfzell leave behind for the future? Which memories, experiences, and hopes are worth preserving for coming generations?  At the exhibition’s interactive stations, visitors can playfully contribute their own thoughts and wishes and actively help develop a vision for Radolfzell — in the end, they themselves decide what should be included in the time capsule and preserved until the next anniversary.  ** City and Universities** The exhibition is the result of a collaboration between the Radolfzell Cultural Office, the University of Konstanz, and the HTWG Konstanz. During the 2025/26 winter semester, students from the history, architecture, and communication design programs conceived the exhibition and implemented it during the summer semester.  The exhibition is the seventh project of the interdisciplinary collaboration “Mediale Ausstellungsgestaltung,” which has consistently set new standards for innovation and has received numerous awards.   The exhibition opens on July 31, 2026, at Villa Bosch and runs through November 15. The closing ceremony will feature the handover of the sealed time capsule containing the hopes and visions of Radolfzell’s residents—it will be opened at the next 1,200th anniversary in 3226!