Place of learning

House of Religions

The House of Religions is a venue for interfaith encounters of all kinds and houses a permanent multimedia exhibition on these topics.

Two men in a cube housing an exhibition on Alevism. — View of the exhibition

Nine religions and worldviews—Alevism, the Baha’i Faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Yezidism, Hinduism, Humanism, Islam, and Judaism—are presented to visitors in the multimedia permanent exhibition within their own “Space of Religions,” a cube with a floor area of 2.5 x 2 x 5 meters. During the planning phase, they were given considerable freedom to decide which topics were particularly important to them and which form of presentation suited them best. The aim was to avoid repeating clichés or common school knowledge. As a result, the exhibition is full of surprises and unexpected elements.

Atmospheric elements should also be given free rein, for example through the use of lighting, sound installations, or specific colors. This allows for an immersion in the world of religions that goes beyond mere factual knowledge. In addition to the intellect, the emotions are deliberately engaged as well, so that participants can better empathize with the lived experience of those of other faiths.

A particular focus is placed on what are known as “activating-participatory elements”—that is, “hands-on stations”—which encourage visitors to explore certain aspects of the religious communities’ teachings or practices on their own. In this way, the permanent exhibition becomes an interactive space for discovery.

The screens installed in each cube will offer a personal touch. For each religious and philosophical community, two protagonists will appear in videos lasting about three minutes to share what moves them about their own faith and what touches them most deeply. Each pair will cover different perspectives and represent various age groups, genders, and, where applicable, denominations.

The new permanent exhibition, which opened on November 21, 2021, is open not only to group visits but also to the general public during regular hours. A wide range of educational modules enables a variety of usage scenarios and enhances the quality of the House of Religions as an extracurricular learning venue.

Hours for group visits

Mon–Fri, 10:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Hours for individual visits

Tue & Thu, 4:00–7:00 p.m.