Styria Show 2025

400 years of Eggenberg: An entire palace becomes a stage

Eggenberg Palace in Graz will be the theme and setting of the Styria Show in 2025

(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

The third Styria Show next year has a special theme up its sleeve: on the occasion of the "400 years of Eggenberg Palace" anniversary, the Unesco World Heritage Site and undisputed tourist magnet in Graz will be the theme and setting of the new provincial exhibition.

The whole world is a stage - and Graz's Eggenberg Palace will play the leading role in 2025. The building itself, its history, its former and current residents and, of course, the astronomical-mathematical concept with which Prince Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg commissioned the conversion of the old palace complex in 1625.

Astronomy, mathematics and alchemy
Even at school, one learns about the 365 windows (representing the days of the year), the 52 windows of the Beletage (weeks of the year), the four towers (four seasons and elements) and the 24 state rooms (hours of the day). The symmetrical arrangement results in twelve chambers, those in the south were reserved for the prince and the men's world, those in the north for the women.

This exhibition will change our perception of Eggenberg Palace and its inhabitants forever.

Paul Schuster, Leiter der Abteilung Schloss Eggenberg

For the Styrian show, "Schlossherr" Paul Schuster, who developed the concept together with his predecessor Barbara Kaiser, follows this organizing principle, which was conceived in the 17th century as a response to the crises of the time. And it follows the Baroque principle of the great world theater, which can also be found in the ceiling frescoes of the state rooms. "At that time, everything was a staging, every step had a certain meaning," explains the head of the Schloss Eggenberg department at the Universalmuseum Joanneum (UMJ). His big goal: "This exhibition will change our perception of Eggenberg Palace and its inhabitants forever."

Paul Schuster

(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

"Together with the designers from 'opera Amsterdam' and 'studio Louter', we are telling the story of the exhibition in three acts, with an interlude and a tragic ending," reveals Schuster, remaining entirely in theater mode. Emotional sustainability is important to him. "We don't want to show dry documents, we want to bring history to life." The many ceiling paintings, which tell exciting stories, are also to be used for this purpose. Baroque music also plays a major role (in cooperation with the Styriarte).

The architecture and frescoes, not only in the Planetensaal, play a major role in the concept

(Bild: Steiermark Tourismus / ikarus.cc)

Marko Mele, head of the UMJ, which is organizing the Styria Show for the third time, is looking forward to the exhibition at the traditional location. And he refers to the pavilion, which will be used again next year - albeit under different circumstances. "The mobile element has three parts this time, one will be stationed in the castle park, a second will tour the Styrian regions and a third will travel to neighboring capitals such as Ljubljana and Zagreb." And Governor Christopher Drexler, the inventor of the Styria Show, adds: "You can experience the three parts together at the traditional prologue in Vienna." His deputy Anton Lang, on the other hand, is delighted that the pavilion is traveling to the Styrian regions. You can tell that both are looking forward to this Styria Show, which will take place from April to November 2025.

Those responsible for the Styria Show - Günther Holler-Schuster, Marko Mele, Barbara Kaiser, Paul Schuster and Josef Schrammel (from left) - with Styrian Governor Christopher Drexler and Deputy Governor Anton Lang (center)

(Bild: Universalmuseum Joanneum/J.J. Kucek)

Pavilion is rethought
Günther Holler-Schuster from the Neue Galerie is responsible for the content of the pavilion this time, while an architectural competition will decide on its form. "The pavilion will not deal directly with historical facts," says Holler-Schuster, pointing out parallels at the same time. "Recession, war weariness and climate change existed then and still exist today."