APHEUM frames
E-Paper photo frames show photographs like framed prints: not self-luminous, calm and designed for concentrated image viewing.
B2B case study / community & culture of remembrance
Schwalmtal makes local history digitally visible
Five APHEUM frames in the town hall combine historical photographs from the population with the stories, which can be accessed directly on the picture via QR codes. This is how personal memories become public cultural assets.
5
APHEUM Frames in the town hall foyer
Every 3 days
Image change, centrally controlled
WiFi
Data transmission, without cables
Opening
End of June 2026
Initial situation
Without context, a photo remains just a photo
The Schwalmtal community didn't just want to show historical images. What was crucial was the context: Who can be seen in the photo? Which place is meant? What memory does a family, a club or a neighborhood associate with this moment?
Visitors can access the stories about the respective images using QR codes next to the APHEUM frames. As a result, each motif becomes part of a larger narrative and private memories become accessible to the community.
Visitors can access the stories about the respective images using QR codes next to the APHEUM frames. As a result, each motif becomes part of a larger narrative and private memories become accessible to the community.
The QR code turns the image into a memory space.
© Municipality of Schwalmtal
Solution
An exhibition format that brings together images and stories
APHEUM by Newstyle worked with the community to develop a format that does not show photographs like fleeting screen content, but rather makes them look like framed pictures in the room. The technical level remains reserved, while images, QR codes and history together form a new form of communal culture of remembrance.
Three levels. A system.
Central platform
Content is managed, assigned to individual frames, scheduled and renewed at fixed rhythms.
Digital deepening
QR codes on the image open personal memories, names, places, times and further information.
From content to exhibition
Curation from the population
The start is based on submitted photographs, memories and stories from Schwalmtal.
Five high quality frames
The APHEUM frames fit into the town hall foyer as calm framed objects.
Play out
Transmit new content centrally via WiFi to the APHEUM frames and publish it in the room.
Context via QR code
For each motif, visitors can access the memories, background and personal stories directly from the picture.
Update
Include new topics, contributions and additional information without physically reproducing the exhibition.
Technology in public spaces
WiFi
wireless data transmission
AAA batteries
Power supply without a socket
No cable routes
free placement in the room
No lithium batteries
Safety and maintenance advantage
Effort
Eight steps. Low effort.
From the first address to the population to the current exhibition - without construction work, without our own IT project and without laying cables in the town hall.
Not a construction project. No IT department required.
Start call
The community is calling on the public to send in pictures with their stories.
View images
The submitted images will be viewed and checked for quality and suitability for the exhibition.
Prepare system
APHEUM prepares the system technically and sets up the frames for use in the town hall.
Book in & assign
Images and the associated context are posted and assigned to the frames.
Determine the alternation rhythm
The change of images is set - for example daily or every three days.
Plan hanging
The placement of the frames in the room is planned and coordinated together with the community.
Connect WiFi
The WLAN connection to the frames is established - without additional cables or structural measures.
Done
The frames show the content during operation - the exhibition has opened.
Schwalmtal
This is how the exhibition came about
For the start, the community chose the topic "Do you 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 defines a theme of remembrance culture and invites participation.
Collect contributions
Photographs, memories and stories are taken from the population.
tell context
Motifs are arranged editorially and linked to memories, names, places and background information.
Publish exhibition
The content is entered into the APHEUM system, assigned to the five frames and linked to the QR context.
Show in space
The images appear alternately on APHEUM frames and remain publicly accessible. The context of each image can be accessed using the QR codes on the frames.
Continue the exhibition
New topics, motifs and additional information can be continuously recorded and published.
On site
An exhibition that sparks conversations
In the town hall, historical 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 assets
The exhibition combines historical motifs with the memories of local people. Only these stories make it clear why a train station, a school, a business, a choir or a meeting place was important for the community.
This creates a scalable format for municipalities, museums, archives, libraries and educational institutions: set topics, collect contributions, check content, curate it, deepen it using a QR code and make it permanently visible in space.
This creates a scalable format for municipalities, museums, archives, libraries and educational institutions: set topics, collect contributions, check content, curate it, deepen it using a QR code and make it permanently visible in space.
It is the stories that turn a photo into a piece of living local history.
encounter
Recognized places and faces bring visitors into conversation with one another.
Participation
The community has already received suggestions for further exhibition topics from citizens.
Continuation
The permanent exhibition remains accessible during regular opening hours and can be continually updated.
Transferability
A principle. Many applications.
The model tested in Schwalmtal can be transferred to various municipal and institutional tasks. The institution sets 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, volunteer work, schools or influential personalities.
Museums, Archives & Libraries
Existing collections are combined with personal perspectives and made newly accessible in everyday life.
Education & Society
Associations, educational institutions and social organizations develop their own participation and remembrance projects.
For B2B projects
Are you planning an exhibition or commemorative project?
APHEUM supports municipalities, cultural venues and companies in making image archives, private collections and personal stories visible in a high-quality space.