Press release

facts and fiction designs and implements new special exhibition at Train World Brussels

01/10/2025

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For Train World, the railway museum of the Belgian railway company SNCB at Brussels' Schaerbeek station, facts and fiction conceived and implemented the special exhibition “The SNCB during the occupation. Between collaboration and resistance” (“La SNCB occupée. Entre collaboration et résistance”). The collaboration with Train World is based on winning a tender for a total of four special exhibitions to be realized by 2032.

The exhibition opened on September 26, 2025, and will run until the end of June 2026. It traces the history of the Belgian railways during the German occupation from 1940 to 1945 and highlights the role of the SNCB during the German occupation in World War II.

The focus is on the moral dilemmas faced by the railway company and its employees. On the one hand, SNCB was forced to maintain operations in order to ensure the supply of food and raw materials to the population. On the other hand, the occupiers used the infrastructure for military purposes, deportations, and forced labor. The exhibition impressively shows how Belgian railway workers acted between fulfilling their duties, resistance, and forced collaboration.

The design concept is deliberately clear, minimalist, and understated in order to give space to the historical documents (copyright: Stefan Schilling).

Documents, photographs, and eyewitness accounts reveal the complexity of the situation during this period: from everyday operations and covert sabotage to the dramatic transport of political prisoners, Jews, Sinti, and Roma. The question of responsibility and remembrance culture is also raised: How does a society deal with a past in which institutions were forced to become part of a criminal system?

The exhibition is based on current research by the Study Center for War and Contemporary Society (CegeSoma) and the findings of the Group of Wise Men appointed by the Belgian Parliament. It thus combines historical documentation with a reflection on highly topical social issues.

Documents, photographs, and eyewitness accounts reveal just how complex the situation was during this period (copyright: Stefan Schilling).

The challenge for the scenographic concept was to integrate itself into the existing exhibition concept while at the same time being perceived as an independent temporary exhibition. This is because the temporary exhibition is decentralized and integrated into the entire 8,000 square meter museum space. Various exhibition islands, which stand out from the permanent exhibition thanks to their clear, recognizable design, illustrate various aspects of the company's history during the Second World War using numerous original documents and objects. Surprising media installations make the complex topic accessible and comprehensible. The design provides orientation: black as the main color is combined with white lettering, giving the design a simple and calm appearance. Brown as an accent color has symbolic value as the identifying color of National Socialism.

The exhibition is decentralized and integrated throughout the entire 8,000 square meter museum (Copyright: Stefan Schilling).

“We are very proud to have been selected as a German agency for such a sensitive topic. We see this decision not only as recognition of our professional expertise, but also as a sign of trust in our responsible approach to history,”

says Andreas Horbelt, Creative Director at facts and fiction.

“The design concept also follows this approach: deliberately clear, minimalist, and understated, to give space to the historical documents and eyewitness accounts and create a dignified atmosphere for dealing with this chapter of history.”

The exhibition traces the history of the Belgian railways during the German occupation from 1940 to 1945 (Copyright: Stefan Schilling).

The basis for the collaboration with Train World is a long-term tender comprising a total of four major special exhibitions to be realized by 2032. A central concern of the project is the sustainable use of all elements of the exhibition construction. The structures were therefore designed in such a way that they can be reused for future exhibitions with only minor adjustments, such as a new color scheme. This not only creates a fresh look for each exhibition, but also ensures that materials are used efficiently and in a way that conserves resources.

About Train World

Train World is Belgium's official railway museum and has been housed in the historic Schaerbeek railway station since 2015. Covering an area of around 8,000 square meters, visitors can experience a fascinating journey through the history of the railway—from the oldest preserved steam locomotive, Pays de Waes, to modern high-speed trains. Interactive installations and spectacular scenography make the museum a unique place to experience technology, culture, and history.

About facts and fiction

facts and fiction is an interdisciplinary creative agency with more than 80 permanent employees in Cologne and Berlin. The agency was founded in Cologne in 1992. facts and fiction conceives, designs, and implements innovative analog and digital projects in the fields of art, culture, business, and science. The focus is on museums and exhibitions, expo pavilions, events, exhibits, and digital solutions for participatory and individualized experiences.

facts and fiction developed the pavilions for Germany, Austria, and the EU for the World Expo in Japan, which will take place in Osaka from April to October 2025. The agency has 25 years of expo experience and, with Japan, will have implemented a total of 13 country participations. Major projects already realized in the field of public museums and exhibitions include the Mining Museum in Bochum and the Berlin Exhibition at the Humboldt Forum in Berlin. The agency is currently working on the design of the Zeppelin Tribune and Zeppelin Field learning and meeting place in Nuremberg, a permanent exhibition for the Natural History Museum in Basel, and the permanent exhibition of the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, among other projects. In Berlin, facts and fiction operates in the field of political communication: the agency develops a wide variety of analog, hybrid, and digital event formats and exhibitions in the context of political discourse for ministries, institutions, and associations. In Berlin, facts and fiction operates in the dynamic field of political communication: the agency develops a wide variety of analog, hybrid, and digital event formats and exhibitions in the context of political discourse for ministries, institutions, and associations. In 2024, it successfully defended the budget of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN).

facts and fiction has implemented more than 700 projects in 50 countries and has already received numerous awards for its work, including the BIE Award, the iF Communication Award, the ADC Competition, the Galaxy Award, and the Red Dot Award.