4 June 2026
A template for the Bach festivals from 1901: Inauguration of the Eisenach Bach monument in 1884. Photo: Bachhaus
Special exhibition 2026
Phenomenon Bach Festivals
From June 4, 2026, the exhibition “Phenomenon Bach Festivals” commemorates the invention of regular Bach festivals by the New Bach Society (NBG) 125 years ago. Today, over 70 Bach festivals are celebrated worldwide each year: as festivals, Bach days, or Bach weeks. The exhibition in Eisenach tells the story of the birth of a phenomenon.
In 1899, Hermann Kretzschmar, then director of Leipzigʼs university musicians, had the idea of holding regular Bach festivals to “make propaganda for Bach”. To organize these events, he founded the "New Bach Society" (NBG) in 1900, and in 1901, the society held its first Bach festival in Berlin. The NBGʼs Bach festivals were initially held every two years, and then annually, at various locations throughout Germany. For its 100th Bach festival in 2026, the NBG combined it with the Leipzig Bach Festival. In 2027, the society celebrates its 101st Bach festival in Eisenach.
The snowball that the NBG launched in Berlin in 1901 became an avalanche, as the idea was soon followed by others. Independent Bach festivals were already being held in Essen in 1907 and in Dortmund in 1908. Leipzig began its own regular Bach festivals in 1908, followed by the Bethlehem Bach Choir in Pennsylvania in 1912. Many more followed. Today, at least 71 different Bach festivals are celebrated annually around the world, in Europe and the USA, in Canada, Paraguay, Australia, India, and Malaysia, where the largest such festival takes place.
The exhibition at the Bach House in Eisenach is dedicated to a phenomenon unparalleled for any other musician. It tells the story not only of the 100 Bach festivals organized by the NBG, but also of 50 others, using programs, posters, photographs, autographs, films, and historical sound recordings. All exhibition texts are in German and English.
“Phenomenon Bach Festivals: 125 Years of Bach Festivals – 100 Bach Festivals”. Special exhibition, from 4 June 2026. Bachhaus Eisenach, Frauenplan 21, 99817 Eisenach, open daily from 10 am to 6 pm, Tel. +49 (0)3691 79340, www.bachhaus.de
Opening and press tour: 4 June 2026, 10 am.