Imperial Era &
First World War.

From the German Empire to the trenches of Flanders: this area shows the military and civilian life of an era as present in Mannheim as it was throughout the Reich — shaped by industrialization, rearmament, and finally the shock of the First World War.

On display are Pickelhaube helmets, field uniforms, decorations, field letters and personal effects of soldiers from the region. The exhibition is complemented by everyday objects from the home front — because the war did not only take place at the front.

On display

• Uniforms and headgear 1871–1918
• Medals and decorations
• Field letters and diaries
• Trench equipment and protective gear
• Posters, postcards, newspapers

An era that led the 20th century into the abyss — told through what people carried into the field.