Open Monument Day 2024

Open Monument Day takes place every year on the 2nd Sunday in September. Since 1993, this day has been coordinated by the German Foundation for Monument Protection and is held under the patronage of the Federal President. The aim of this day is to open the doors of monuments that are otherwise closed to the public and thus raise public awareness of monument protection. Each day has its own motto. The motto of Open Monument Day 2024 is “True Signs: Witnesses of history”.

This year’s Open Monument Day will take place on September 8. Under the motto “Wahr-Zeichen: Contemporary Witnesses of History”, many monuments throughout Germany will be offering visitors an interesting program. The Open Monument Day 2024 will be opened in Speyer by the German Foundation for Monument Protection. A varied program will accompany the largest cultural event in Germany.
People have always erected landmarks, they commemorate important historical events and shape the image of our cities. Buildings have also always made their mark. Iconic representative and sacred buildings are just as much landmarks as merchants’ and craftsmen’s houses, industrial buildings or residential buildings. They can all serve us today in the fight against fake news by acting as authentic contemporary witnesses.

The aim of Monument Day 2024 is to consciously present monuments under the motto “Wahr-Zeichen. Witnesses of History” to deliberately present them from different angles and perspectives. Landmarks are initially just landmarks or sights that are often recognizable. They represent an important historical event or influence the image of the city. In this way, they are transformed into a symbol, a “sign” of a place. In addition, people have always used buildings to make specific “signs”: sacred buildings and iconic representative buildings show political or religious claims to power. However, buildings such as merchants’ and craftsmen’s houses, industrial buildings or residential buildings tell us more about the lives of our ancestors and their social values, which makes them particularly valuable and exciting. Monuments can also be individual landmarks: The village church where baptisms or weddings took place, or the park where we like to spend our weekends, are of emotional significance to us. All of these places will be open to interested visitors on Open Monument Day 2024.
“True” monuments are those that are considered reliable and empirically verifiable monuments and cultural testimonies of past eras. As part of our culture of remembrance, they reflect authentic stories of the past into the present. “Truth” has also gained in importance in an age of increasingly falsified messages. Monuments, with their original building fabric, face up to the images of the present created by AI – they are genuine contemporary witnesses and are therefore reliable sources of knowledge.

The extensive program on Open Monument Day 2024 includes 6000 monuments and 500 tours that visit or pass by monuments. The tours are offered as city tours, bicycle tours and also walks that lead to several monuments. In addition to nationally known monuments such as the Frauenkirche in Munich, Cologne Cathedral or the Berlin TV Tower, lesser-known monuments are also presented to visitors. For example, you can visit the newly restored castle chapel in Berlin-Buch. The dome, which had been missing since the Second World War, was added this year. In Hamburg, the John Neumeier Ballet Center attracts visitors. The building was constructed in 1929/30 as a secondary school for girls by Fritz Schumacher. The strictly functional reinforced concrete building was erected as a two-winged structure with a stair tower. Inside the former gymnastics hall of today’s ballet school with adjoining boarding school is a ceiling fresco by the artist Anita Rée, who was ostracized by the National Socialists. Visitors are invited to explore the rooms on Open Monument Day 2024.
But smaller towns also have buildings that are worth discovering. For example, you can visit the Orr manor house in Orr, a district of Pulheim. Built in 1838 in neo-Gothic style, the building is now used as an event location and for cultural events. In Blankenfelde-Mahlow in Brandenburg, the old village smithy invites you to a demonstration of the blacksmith’s craft. In Einbeck, Lower Saxony, you can visit the Old Synagogue, which today serves as a place for encounters and open dialog. A photo exhibition documents the renovation work and guided tours are also available on request. A concert will conclude the program for the 2024 Open Monument Day. In addition to the large number of places, the sights to be visited are also characterized by their diversity. From palaces and castles, industrial buildings and public buildings to gardens and archaeological sites, everything is included in the Open Monument Day 2024.
In addition to the activities of the individual participants, the German Foundation for Monument Protection also offers a further accompanying program. The activities include a photo competition and a photo generator for use in social media. In Speyer, which is the opening venue this year, there will also be a stage program and the “Mart of Opportunities” on Maximilanstrasse. The supporting program on Open Monument Day 2024 in Speyer offers free events, guided tours and activities by experts for children and adults.
Discover the nationwide programhere.