25 Years of IWM: An Anniversary with an Eye Toward the Future

From the early days of the Internet to artificial intelligence: For 25 years, the Leibniz Institute für Wissensmedien (IWM) has been researching how people use digital media to learn, obtain information, and exchange knowledge. On October 22, 2026, the institute celebrated its anniversary with a ceremony in Tübingen—and simultaneously opened the new MuseumLab.

Guests included Leibniz President Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Christoph M. Schmidt, the Rector of the University of Tübingen, Prof. Dr. Karla Pollmann, and Ministerial Director Dr. Hans J. Reiter, representing the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science. The keynote address on the future of museum research was delivered by Prof. Dr. Axel Drecoll, Director of the Brandenburg Memorial Sites Foundation.

A highlight was the opening of the new MuseumLab, where future research will explore how exhibitions influence learning and experience. An accompanying exhibition traces the nearly 20-year history of museum research at the IWM.