APHEUM Press Area

APHEUM Frames in the town hall show how municipalities can easily collect, curate, and permanently display private photographs and personal memories.

How can local history not only be preserved but also be told and passed on together with the local community? The municipality of Schwalmtal is testing a new participation format for this: Five APHEUM Frames in the town hall connect historical photographs from the citizens with the personal memories behind the images.

Private photographs become a public memory

In June, the exhibition "Do you remember? Schwalmtal in the 60s and 70s" opened in the foyer of the town hall. It is the first project realized together with APHEUM by Newstyle under the guiding principle of "culture of remembrance." Many historical photographs were submitted by citizens for the inauguration.

The pictures document, among other things, former railway connections, schools, churches, local businesses, meeting places, and social events. The historical motif alone is not the decisive factor. The memories of the people belong to every shot: Who is in the picture? What happened at this place? What significance did a business, a club, a school, or a personal meeting place have for life in the community?

The photographs appear on the five APHEUM Frames at regular intervals. The administration determines the rhythm itself. A QR code on each frame leads to additional information and to the stories that citizens have associated with the pictures. Thus, a single shot becomes an accessible piece of local history.

"It was important to us not only to present the images but also to show their context. Only the stories turn a photo into a piece of living local history." – Christopher Colshorn, APHEUM by Newstyle

Identity from the perspective of the local people

Today's municipality of Schwalmtal was formed on January 1, 1970, from the previously independent municipalities of Waldniel and Amern. Its districts and localities have their own experiences, images, and narratives. The participation project brings these perspectives together without homogenizing them: The collective memory emerges from the diversity of individual memories.

Personal photographs, everyday observations, and memories of contemporary witnesses complement the official records. The exhibition is not conceived as a concluded retrospective project but as a starting point for further topics. New contributions can be regularly added, and existing content can be supplemented.

Like print – without a glowing screen

The APHEUM Frames were developed for a calm viewing of photography. The display does not glow and resembles a classic framed photograph. At the same time, the content can be managed centrally and changed without new prints.

A simple process for municipalities and administrations

The municipality sets a theme, collects photographs and memories from the population, reviews and organizes the contributions, and then publishes them on the APHEUM Frames. New images and stories can be added at any time. The administration retains editorial control.

The model can also be used by museums, archives, libraries, educational institutions, associations, and social organizations. Possible topics range from local and industrial history to migration, club life, and volunteering, to schools, landscapes, and influential personalities.

The permanent exhibition in the Schwalmtal town hall is open to the public during regular opening hours.

About APHEUM by Newstyle

APHEUM develops networked e-paper photo frames and the associated platform for the high-quality presentation of photography. The solution combines the calm effect of a framed print with the ability to centrally manage, plan, and change images.

Press contact APHEUM:
Christopher Colshorn
presse@apheum.com
Phone: 0152 5143 4488