APHEUM Frames
E-paper photo frames display photographs like framed prints: non-emissive, static, and designed for concentrated image viewing.
© Municipality of Schwalmtal
B2B Case Study / Municipality & Culture of Remembrance
Schwalmtal digitally showcases local history
Five APHEUM frames in the town hall connect historical photographs from the public with stories that can be accessed via QR codes directly on the image. In this way, personal memories become public cultural assets.
5
APHEUM Frames in the City Hall Foyer
Every 3 days
Image rotation, centrally controlled
Wi-Fi
Wireless data transfer
Opening
End of June 2026
Starting point
Without context, a photo remains just a photo
The municipality of Schwalmtal didn't just want to show historical pictures. The context was crucial: Who is in the photo? Which place is meant? What memory does a family, club or neighborhood associate with this moment?
Visitors can access the stories behind each image via QR codes next to the APHEUM Frames. This makes each motif part of a larger narrative and makes private memories accessible to the community.
Visitors can access the stories behind each image via QR codes next to the APHEUM Frames. This makes each motif part of a larger narrative and makes private memories accessible to the community.
The QR code turns the image into a space of remembrance.
© Municipality of Schwalmtal
Solution
An exhibition format that combines images and stories
APHEUM by Newstyle, in collaboration with the community, developed a format that presents photographs not as fleeting screen content, but as framed pictures in a room. The technical aspect remains discreet, while the image, QR code, and story together form a new type of communal culture of remembrance.
Three levels. One system.
Central Platform
Content is managed, assigned to individual frames, scheduled, and renewed at fixed intervals.
Digital Deepening
QR codes on the image open personal memories, names, places, times, and further information.
From Content to Exhibition
Crowdsourced Curation
The prelude is based on submitted photographs, memories, and stories from Schwalmtal.
Five high-quality frames
The APHEUM frames integrate into the Town Hall foyer as tranquil, framed objects.
Play out
Centrally transfer new content to the APHEUM Frames via Wi-Fi and publish it in the room.
Context via QR code
For each motif, visitors can access the memories, backgrounds, and personal stories directly on the image.
Update
Incorporate new topics, contributions, and supplementary information without physically re-producing the exhibition.
Technology in public spaces
Wi-Fi
wireless data transmission
AAA batteries
Power supply without a socket
No cable routing
free placement in the room
No lithium batteries
Safety and maintenance advantage
Effort
Eight steps. Low effort.
From the initial public address to the ongoing exhibition – without construction, without an in-house IT project, and without laying cables in the town hall.
No construction project. No IT department needed.
Start Call
The municipality is calling on the public to submit photos with their stories.
Review images
The submitted images will be reviewed and checked for quality and suitability for the exhibition.
Prepare system
APHEUM is technically preparing the system and setting up the frames for use in the town hall.
Check in & assign
Images and their corresponding context are booked and assigned to the frames.
Set change interval
The image rotation is set – for example, daily or every three days.
Plan hanging
The placement of the frames in the space will be planned and coordinated with the community.
Connect to Wi-Fi
The WLAN connection to the frames is established – without additional cables or structural measures.
Done
The frames show the content in operation – the exhibition is open.
Schwalmtal
This is how the exhibition came about
For the launch, the municipality chose the theme "Remember? Schwalmtal in the 60s and 70s." The project combines citizen participation, curatorial work, and technical publication in a clear process. Editorial control remains with the municipality.
Editorial control remains entirely with the municipality.
Define topic
The municipality determines a topic related to remembrance culture and invites participation.
Collect contributions
Photographs, memories, and stories are collected from the public.
Tell me more about the context
Motifs are editorially organized and linked with memories, names, places, and background information.
Publish exhibition
The contents are entered into the APHEUM system, assigned to the five frames, and linked to QR context.
Show in room
The images appear alternately on APHEUM Frames and remain publicly accessible. The QR codes on the frames allow access to the context of each image.
Continue exhibition
New topics, motifs, and supplementary information can be continuously added and published.
On site
An exhibition that sparks conversations
In the town hall, historic images meet personal memories. Visitors recognize places and faces – and begin to share their own stories with each other.
© Municipality of Schwalmtal
© Municipality of Schwalmtal
© Municipality of Schwalmtal
Result
Personal memories become public cultural heritage
The exhibition combines historical motifs with the memories of local people. It is these stories that make visible why a train station, a school, a business, a choir, or a meeting place was important to the community.
For municipalities, museums, archives, libraries, and educational institutions, this creates a scalable format: setting themes, collecting contributions, reviewing and curating content, providing more in-depth information via QR code, and making it permanently visible in the space.
For municipalities, museums, archives, libraries, and educational institutions, this creates a scalable format: setting themes, collecting contributions, reviewing and curating content, providing more in-depth information via QR code, and making it permanently visible in the space.
Only the stories transform a photo into a piece of living local history.
Encounter
Recognized places and faces encourage visitors to talk to each other.
Participation
The municipality is already receiving suggestions from the public for further exhibition topics.
Continuation
The permanent exhibition remains accessible during regular opening hours and can be updated on an ongoing basis.
Transferability
One principle. Many applications.
The model tested in Schwalmtal can be applied to various municipal and institutional tasks. The institution defines a topic, collects images and memories, curates the contributions, and publishes them in the APHEUM system.
Municipalities & Administrations
Districts, anniversaries, structural change, migration, club life, volunteering, schools, or influential personalities.
Museums, Archives & Libraries
Existing collections are connected with personal perspectives and made accessible in new ways in everyday life.
Education & Society
Associations, educational institutions, and social welfare organizations are developing their own participation and remembrance projects.
For B2B projects
Are you planning an exhibition or a memorial project?
APHEUM supports municipalities, cultural institutions, and businesses in making image archives, private collections, and personal stories visibly accessible in spaces with high quality.