In 2025, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), one of the oldest technical universities in Germany, celebrates a milestone birthday: 200 years have passed since the founding of the Polytechnische Schule Karlsruhe as its first predecessor institution. With the multifaceted exhibition 200 Years of KIT - 100 Objects. Parts of the whole. Selected Objects on the History of KIT to mark the 200th anniversary of its founding, KIT will be a guest at the ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe from April 11 to October 19, 2025.

KIT presents its history in 100 objects - on site on the museum balcony of the ZKM and virtually. Many members and alumni of KIT as well as people from its environment have responded to the "Call for Objects" and contributed to the great treasure of objects and stories to the exhibition: historical scientific equipment, objects from everyday life and real rarities such as the hydrogen van from the 1980s, mechanical engineering models from 1860, design icons such as the Sistrah lamp from 1930 or a robot from the modern ARMAR family as well as numerous historical documents and artifacts. On the one hand, they represent the KIT institution and, on the other, offer a glimpse behind the scenes.

Hydrogen test vehicle (date of photograph: February 1986) Photo: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), KIT Archive, (28028)/(08140)

The exhibition shows how KIT's current university mission developed from the teaching of technology that began in 1825. At the same time, it shows how large-scale research emerged from the work begun in 1956 to develop a new source of energy. The anniversary exhibition also sheds light on KIT's current identity as a research university within the Helmholtz Association and as one of the largest and oldest scientific institutions in Germany. The complete exhibition will be presented online and will be on display for a period of five years.
April 11 to October 19, 2025