Members' meeting 28 - 30 August 2026 in Mannheim
Three days full of photo history, encounters and inspiration:
- Central location with excellent ICE connections
- Comfortable conference hotel at moderate prices
- Short distances between hotel, programme and culture
- Enjoyment, conviviality and the Palatinate way of life
After Freiburg in southern Germany in 2025, our next members' meeting will take place in Mannheim in south-west Germany in 2026. Although we will still be in Baden-Württemberg, Mannheim is much easier to reach than Freiburg due to its ICE railway junction. Our conference hotel is located about 300 metres from the end of the Heidelberg - Mannheim motorway and about 1 kilometre from Mannheim Airport (connections to Hamburg, Berlin and Sylt); the train station is two kilometres or four tram stops away.
We will be announcing the exact hotel details and booking conditions in the near future. The hotel will cost around 80 euros for a single room and around 90 euros for a double room (including breakfast). We are still working on the organisation of the programme.
We are planning visits to the Technoseum, which is just a few hundred metres from the hotel. There is a small but interesting photo exhibition there, as well as lots of technology worth seeing (and hearing), such as a functional Welte cinema organ from the 1930s or a broadcasting van from the former SWR from the 1950s. There is also a historic workers' pub in the Technoseum where we can have a snack.
While we are in the Palatinate, Deidesheim is of course not far away, where we will probably take the bus on Saturday and visit the 3F German Museum of Photography, Film and Television Technology. The volunteer team is already working on an extraordinary sightseeing programme with a film screening, a special exhibition of 1960s fashion photography designed especially for us (as a ladies' programme) and other events that are otherwise not available to the public (e.g. a visit to the library and depot). After a short walk through the vineyards, the Deidesheimer Hütte, located in the adjoining forest, can provide for the physical well-being, where there is not only wine spritzer and Saumagen (which actually belong to the Palatinate).
Other events are still being planned, such as a possible visit to BASF (historically important manufacturer of paints and photographic chemicals), a photo exhibition at the Reiss-Engelhorn Museum (REM) in the centre of Mannheim (the so-called squares) or perhaps even a harbour tour.
Those arriving on Thursday will also be able to visit the Festival of German Film in Ludwigshafen, now the second largest German film festival, which takes place in a very atmospheric setting on an island in the Rhine.
If that's too much photo and film technology for you, you can relax in the nearby Luisenpark, a large park with water features, gondola rides and a Japanese teahouse. You will find a more detailed programme in Photo Antiquaria 167, as well as registration information.
We would be grateful for any comments on what you are particularly interested in, also by e-mail: [email protected]
We will keep you informed about the progress of the programme from time to time in our "CD News", which will be sent to you by e-mail.