Museum LA8 on the Lichtentaler Allee in Baden-Baden
"Luxury: The Desire for Abundance" – A special exhibition in the spa town of Baden-Baden explores how the concept of luxury has evolved alongside time and society. What is luxury? Is it pomp, glamour, and material wealth—or is it, rather, time, self-determination, and health?
October 24, 2026 – June 6, 2027: Special exhibition "Luxury: The Desire for Abundance" at Museum LA8, located within the LA8 cultural center on the Lichtentaler Allee (Italiano, Francais, Deutsch, English, Nederlands)
Baden-Baden—a place for the "good life"—presents "Luxury: The Desire for Abundance." This spa town in the Black Forest seems to have practically invented the phenomenon of luxury. The roots of this historic spa destination stretch back 2,000 years—a history currently highlighted in an exhibition at the city museum of this UNESCO World Heritage site. Meanwhile, the "fine" lifestyle and indulgence fair is underway at the Kurhaus, and the new exhibition at Museum LA8 on the Lichtentaler Allee—"Luxury: The Desire for Abundance"—is drawing in visitors. Since antiquity, luxury has represented a particular way of life, one that has consistently driven economic progress—though it has often been accompanied by moral condemnation. Against the backdrop of contemporary social debates, the exhibition at Museum LA8 also offers a critical perspective on the mechanisms of luxury and wealth in today’s world. The exhibition focuses in particular on the spa town of Baden-Baden during the 19th and early 20th centuries—a period in which it evolved into a sophisticated meeting place for a cosmopolitan international society and a world-class fashionable spa destination.
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| Entrance to the exhibition "Luxury: The Pleasure of Abundance" at Museum LA8 in Baden-Baden – Press photo: Helga Waess |
Currently, Baden-Baden is celebrating the art of indulgence with the "fine" fair – see our post about it on this blog:
October 23–25, 2026 – "fine" returns to the Kurhaus Baden-Baden, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. ... The 20th-anniversary edition of the "fine" indulgence fair at the Kurhaus Baden-Baden brings luxury and epicurean delights to the spa town.But what exactly is luxury?
It is a question that the curators of the special exhibition at Museum LA8 seek to answer:
Is it splendor, glamour, and material wealth—
or is it, rather, time, self-determination, and health?
The concept of luxury shifts fluidly between material and immaterial values, eluding any rigid definition.
The new special exhibition at Museum LA8 explores the transformation of luxury from the early industrial era through to the Weimar Republic—
an epoch in which luxury evolved from an aristocratic privilege into a bourgeois status symbol.
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| Museum LA8 on the Lichtentaler Allee – Press photo: Helga Waess |
To get to the heart of the phenomenon of LUXURY, the exhibition examines several key thematic areas:
Culinary arts,
Colonial goods,
Mobility,
Architecture,
Fashion,
Design,
Leisure and repose.
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| Vintage cars in Baden-Baden, photo: A. Waess |
The transition toward an era of abundance—on the threshold of modernity—promises to be particularly compelling.
Imported goods that were once priceless—acquired through colonial exploitation—evolved during the course of industrialization into accessible luxuries for the masses. At the same time, the emerging *haute cuisine*—characterized by complex recipes and rare ingredients—spread among an affluent clientele.
With the expansion of rail transport, the automotive industry, and passenger shipping, mobility evolved into a key status symbol.
Legendary trains like the Orient Express and luxurious ocean liners such as the Titanic traversed great distances in conditions of maximum comfort.
In spa towns and major cities, magnificent grand hotels emerged, serving as temporary, self-contained "cosmopolitan worlds in miniature."
They provided glamorous stages for an international elite.
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| Signage for the special exhibition "LUXURY" at the entrance to Museum LA8; press photo archive: Helga Waess. |
The world of fashion also underwent a fundamental transformation.
Early fashion designers established the concept of *haute couture*.
Pioneers such as Charles Frederick Worth (1825–1895) began defining the designs for their own seasonal collections, ushering in a modern brand-oriented mentality.
At the same time, industrial manufacturing processes made high-quality ready-to-wear clothing and mass-produced jewelry possible.
The emergence of large department stores from the 1850s onward made fashion and luxury goods accessible to an ever-growing consumer base.
In contrast, masters of the Art Nouveau movement, such as René Lalique (1860–1945), created exclusive, one-of-a-kind pieces using innovative materials and sophisticated craftsmanship.
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| The spa railway (*Bäderbahn*) in Baden-Baden, located along the Lichtentaler Allee; photo: A. Waess |
As broader segments of the population achieved greater financial security, the perception of prosperity began to shift.
Luxury was no longer defined solely by material possessions; increasingly, it came to signify the freedom to shape one’s own time. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, however, this sovereignty over one’s own time remained an exclusive privilege—a dividing line between economic dependence and a position at the pinnacle of society. The exhibition focuses in particular on the spa town of Baden-Baden, which, during this era, evolved into a sophisticated meeting place for a cosmopolitan global elite and a world-class fashionable spa destination.
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| Restaurants in the town center of Baden-Baden, photo: A. Waess |
The exhibition brings together high-caliber exhibits
from the fields of art, cultural, and technical history, including historical paintings, graphic works, and photographs covering architecture, culinary arts, fashion, advertising, and transportation.
Featured works include significant pieces by, among others:
Abraham Hendricksz. van Beyeren (c. 1620–1690), Jan Davidsz. de Heem (1606–1683/1684), Adolphine Herpp (1820–1882), Fritz Klingholz (1861–1921), René Lalique (1860–1945), Jakob Lehnen (1803–1847), Henri Manguin (1874–1949), Jeanne Paquin (1869–1936), Paul Poiret (1879–1944), Karl Schmidt-Rottluff (1884–1976), Max Slevogt (1868–1932), Emmy Roth (1885–1942), Heinrich Vogeler (1872–1942), and Charles Frederick Worth (1825–1895).
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| Lichtentaler Allee in Baden-Baden – Museum LA8, Press Photo Archive: Helga Waess |
SPECIAL EXHIBITION
LUXURY. THE PLEASURE OF ABUNDANCE
OCTOBER 24, 2026 – JUNE 6, 2027
Museum LA8
Lichtentaler Allee 8
76530 Baden-Baden
Museum LA8
Museum for 19th-Century Art and Technology
Lichtentaler Allee 8
76530 Baden-Baden
- Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Open on all public holidays, including Mondays,
- except for December 24th and 31st.
