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The special exhibition transports visitors into the fascinating world of faith in the late Middle Ages. Everyday heroes, action heroes, superheroes – heroes have always served as role models and ideals. Using prominent paintings and sculptures, the exhibition shows how people at that time identified with heroes, martyrs, and saints in order to reach paradise by any means necessary. The show brings together around 50 exhibits from the 13th to 15th centuries, including works by Veit Stoß, Tilman Riemenschneider, and Konrad Witz, and illustrates how people in the late Middle Ages learned about the heroic deeds of their role models and used them as guidance. The life stories of the saints and martyrs follow the classic pattern of Jesus‘ “hero’s journey”: from calling to trials to sacrifice and ultimate triumph – a narrative pattern that can still be found today in Hollywood films and modern myths.

The exhibition is designed as an interactive hero’s journey: in the cabinet-like rooms, visitors experience Christ’s suffering, encounter the martyr Veit in the oil cauldron, and marvel at the miracle of the Holy Blood. At the end, paradise awaits them — a bright white room in which different ideas of paradise from different religions are questioned.
Each exhibit stands in the foreground, but is brought to life through contextualization in the historical context. In this way, each work tells not only its own story, but also that of the beliefs and lives of the time.
The exhibition is designed to be accessible, with some limitations and appeals to people of all ages, educational levels, and cultural backgrounds — including those with cognitive impairments. Texts in easy-to-read language and an intuitive orientation system ensure a low-threshold presentation. The show can be experienced entirely in analog form — or enriched with digital content offering background information, artists‘ biographies, audio guides, and interactive stations.

Protecting the exhibits is a top priority: passive climate control and low-UV light sources ensure optimal conservation conditions. Sustainability plays a central role: display cases are reused and resource-saving materials are used.

The exhibition combines traditional art presentation with modern, interactive elements, inviting visitors to reflect on questions of faith in the here and now.