BERLIN.- The Museum of European Cultures is turning its attention to Tyrol this summer with an exhibition and a month-long program examining the Austrian region beyond the familiar image of pristine peaks, picturesque villages and Alpine customs.

Opening at the museum’s Berlin-Dahlem location, “The Mountains of Tyrol” brings together historical objects, contemporary art, interviews and interactive displays to explore the Alps as a cultural, ecological and social landscape. The exhibition runs from July 29, 2026, through April 25, 2027, while the accompanying European Cultural Days: Tyrol take place from July 26 through August 23, 2026.

Rather than presenting the mountains as an untouched wilderness, the exhibition looks at a landscape shaped over centuries by farming, trade, transportation, tourism and human settlement. It also considers the growing pressures of climate change, natural hazards and the competing demands placed on Alpine resources.

Spread across approximately 300 square meters, the exhibition is divided into eight thematic chapters. Objects from the Museum of European Cultures are shown alongside loans from partner institutions in Austria and Germany, including rarely exhibited pieces associated with collectors James Simon and Adolf Schlabitz.

Among the subjects explored is Tyrol’s longstanding role as a crossroads in the center of Europe. Historic trade routes, modern transport links and current infrastructure projects reveal a region that has always been defined by movement and exchange, rather than geographical isolation.

The exhibition also examines Alpine farming and the ways it has transformed the mountain environment. Cowbells, decorative objects connected with mountain pastures and other pieces illustrate how agricultural traditions have shaped both the landscape and regional identity. At the same time, the presentation makes clear that these traditions are not static but continue to change in response to economic, environmental and social pressures.

Climate change is one of the exhibition’s central concerns. Glaciers and the dangers of avalanches have long influenced life in the Tyrolean mountains, but the rapid transformation of the Alpine environment has created new challenges. Displays consider how communities have responded to natural hazards through a combination of religious customs, technical innovation and modern mountain-rescue systems.

The high Alps are also presented as both an inhospitable environment and a destination that has attracted generations of climbers, hikers and other mountain-sports enthusiasts. Personal objects linked to Alpine travel and recreation tell stories of people entering a demanding landscape and developing strong emotional connections to it.





One part of the exhibition focuses on the historical relationship between Tyrol and Berlin. Objects associated with Alpine clubs and events in the German capital reveal the depth of this connection. These include garments worn at so-called Alpine balls around the turn of the 20th century, when mountain culture was celebrated far beyond the Alps themselves.

Spirituality and cultural imagination form another important thread. Votive objects, customs and works of art show how mountains have been interpreted as sacred, mysterious and symbolic spaces. The exhibition also considers how songs, books and films have shaped popular ideas about the Alps since the 19th century, influencing how the region continues to be seen today.

Contemporary voices are incorporated through interviews conducted by students from the University of Innsbruck. These conversations address tourism, climate change and everyday living conditions in Tyrol, giving visitors access to a range of perspectives from within the region.

Artists Elias Holknecht and Lilee Imperator contribute works that approach the mountain landscape from a contemporary point of view. Their projects add a visual and artistic dimension to the historical material, emphasizing that the Alps remain a changing environment rather than a fixed cultural image.

Interactive stations invite visitors to investigate the natural resources of the mountains, place themselves within an imagined Alpine landscape and consider controversial questions surrounding the region’s future. An audio tour provides an additional, accessible route through the exhibition.

The European Cultural Days expand these ideas beyond the gallery and into the museum garden. The program opens on July 26 with a performance by Duo Minerva and continues with open-air film screenings organized with the Austrian Cultural Forum Berlin.

Other events include a family climbing day with the Berlin section of the German Alpine Club on August 2, a culinary evening with Tyrolean chef Viktoria Fahringer on August 12, and a guided walk through Berlin’s Grunewald forest on August 15, followed by a traditional snack and an exhibition tour. The program concludes with a yodeling workshop on August 23.

By combining museum objects with contemporary art, public programs and present-day testimony, “The Mountains of Tyrol” offers a portrait of the Alps that moves between beauty and vulnerability. The exhibition acknowledges the enduring appeal of Alpine culture while asking how the region is being reshaped by tourism, environmental change and the demands of modern life.

The exhibition and Cultural Days are curated by Moritz Roemer and Franka Schneider. The project was developed with the Tyrolean Folk Art Museum, the Ötztal Museums, the University of Innsbruck, the Austrian Alpine Club and the Berlin section of the German Alpine Club. The European Cultural Days are being presented with the Austrian Cultural Forum Berlin, with support from Tirol Werbung and the Friends of the Museum of European Cultures.