Anniversary
of the Federal Ministry for
the Environment

Client: Federal Ministry for the Environment

Year: 2026

Veranstaltungen und Messen

The Federal Ministry for the Environment was founded in Germany forty years ago, following the Chernobyl reactor disaster. When the Ministry celebrated four decades of environmental policy in 2026, facts and fiction oversaw the anniversary celebrations – from the official event in Cafe Moskau and the Environmental Festival to the Federal Government’s Open Day.

When planning the official event, we had one clear goal: to create an informal, vibrant and positive programme that looks back on 40 years of environmental policy and isn’t afraid to look ahead to the future. The result was a colourful evening that brought together representatives from politics, civil society and other familiar names and faces.

In addition to speeches by former Federal Chancellor and Environment Minister Angela Merkel and current Environment Minister Carsten Schneider, there were appearances by former ministers Steffi Lemke, Svenja Schulze, Barbara Hendricks, Peter Altmaier and Jürgen Trittin. Representatives from the anti-nuclear and conservation movements and Fridays for Future were also part of the discussion.

Building on the existing campaign design, we came up with an extensive event concept – from stage set and visitor routing to motion design and branding. The modular system consisting of three-dimensional forms was capable of being adapted flexibly to each event and its spatial dimensions and of being used both as a stage backdrop and as a set-up for entire rooms. In this way, we created a sustainable, circular event design that could be used throughout the entire anniversary year.

Also part of the celebrations was an exhibition focusing on 20 milestones in the history of German environmental policy. Each of the historical stages included personal memorabilia belonging to Environment Ministry staff. These items provided individual insights into 40 years of environmental policy: photographs of demonstrations and nature conservation campaigns, former campaign materials or souvenirs from international environmental conferences. The resulting exhibition fused political milestones with personal perspectives and made it clear that environmental policy is a responsibility that we all share.

The exhibition received most publicity during the Open Day in June 2026. In addition to interactive exhibits and information packs, the weekend included an informal stage programme. One particular highlight was a talk with Environment Minister Carsten Schneider, who answered questions from the audience on the Saturday morning.

Visitors who wished to explore the entire building were able to take part in a special tour through the ministry. At seven stages throughout the tour, the visitors solved tasks and had their tour card stamped. For this purpose, the Ministry also opened up its top floor for the very first time.