"Coburg | Gotha | 1826 – Ein Herzog. Zwei Residenzen.": Exhibition on the change of dynasty 200 years ago

While Duke Ernst I of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1784–1844) takes centre stage in Coburg, Gotha traces his networks at court. Who were the people who worked around the duke and shaped the administration and (re)organisation of the collections in the course of the change of dynasty?

The anniversary exhibition documents the upheaval in 125 objects - in the form of letters of homage in silk and paper and tells the story of the collections through exhibits in silver filigree, majolica, shells and minerals as well as on paper. It shows the breaks in the collections, but also and especially their continuity. Media stations complement the show.

The Gotha exhibition – a joint project of the Gotha Research Library of the University of Erfurt and the Friedenstein Foundation Gotha – will be officially opened on 11 April and will then be on display in the “Spiegelsaal” at Friedenstein Castle from 12 April to 5 July 2026.

To accompany the exhibition in the “Spiegelsaal”, from 12 April 2026 to 3 January 2027, the Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation will focus on the background and protagonists of the events around 1826 with a series of exhibition steles in the ceremonial rooms of Friedenstein Castle. At the centre of the presentation, which is entitled " '... on behalf of the Duke ...' – Ernst I and the Thuringian Residential Landscape" centres on Duke Ernst I of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and his first wife Luise.

New research findings and historical accounts are used to illustrate the rooms used by Duke Ernst I and their modernising redesign. In addition, the building projects of Ernest I, for example in Reinhardsbrunn and Coburg, as well as the effects of the Ernestine reorganisation on the Thuringian residency landscape will be discussed.

From 22 May to 20 September 2026, the exhibition at Veste Coburg paints a multifaceted picture of this unusual duchy, which was shaped not only by the duke but also by an increasingly self-confident bourgeoisie. Precious works of art, maps, weapons, archives and books tell of power, representation, the will to reform and resistance – and of an era in upheaval.

In autumn, the Coburg State Library will host a show that illuminates its history against the backdrop of the change of dynasty. It can be seen at Ehrenburg Castle from 7 September to 28 November 2026.

This will be followed by an exhibition on the change of dynasty in the Coburg State Archives from 20 October to 18 December 2026.

Admission to the exhibition in the Hall of Mirrors is free of charge. To see the presentation " '... on behalf of the Duke ...' – Ernst I and the Thuringian Residential Landscape" in the castle tour in the north wing, visitors need a ticket for the castle tour in the north wing (12 euros, reduced 6 euros, children and young people up to 12 years have free admission).

From 28 to 30 September 2026, a conference of the Gotha Research Centre and the Herzog August Library Wolfenbüttel will be held in Gotha on the topic of "Divorced noblewomen between 1600 and 1850" – based on the fate of the Gotha princess and later Duchess Luise of Coburg (1800–1831).

Accompanying this and the other exhibitions under the umbrella of “Coburg | Gotha | 1826 – Ein Herzog. Zwei Residenzen.”, Imhof Verlag will publish an accompanying volume in May 2026 to mark the 200th anniversary of the founding of the double duchy. It will be published by the Coburg Regional Foundation.

The exhibition "Coburg | Gotha | 1826" – Ein Herzog. Zwei Residenzen" there will be an extensive supporting programme with lectures, guided tours and workshops. Further information and the detailed programme can be found on the event website www.coburg-gotha-1826.de or in our event flyer.