Jena, 15.05.2026 – The city of Jena is bringing the important topic of children’s rights directly to the city center. Starting at the end of May, an interactive hands-on exhibition for families, kindergarten, and primary school children will open in the Goethe-Galerie.
- What: Hands-on exhibition “Children Have Rights”
- When: May 23 to June 13, 2026
- Where: Goethe-Galerie Jena (View on Google Maps)
- Target group: Children (3 to 12 years) and adults
Playful Learning at Eight Stations
The exhibition aims to convey complex topics to even the youngest in a child-friendly manner. At a total of eight different stations, girls and boys can playfully discover which rights they are entitled to. Central themes include protection from physical and psychological violence, the right to education and health, and the right to participation in everyday situations.
To make the content tangible, the pedagogical concept relies heavily on interactivity. An integrated audio system, age-appropriate short films, and various hands-on elements invite visitors to touch, listen, and try things out. The show is explicitly not just aimed at the younger generation: adults are also intended to be strengthened in their responsibility and sensitized to the needs and rights of children in everyday life through their visit to the exhibition.
Background: The Goethe-Galerie as an Exhibition Venue
The Goethe-Galerie in the heart of Jena is not only the city’s largest shopping center but also regularly functions as a low-threshold, public space for exhibitions and social discourse. Located on the historic site of the former Carl-Zeiss-Hauptwerk, the light-flooded glass passage offers thousands of passers-by daily access to changing social topics.
Children’s Rights in Germany
The basis for educational offers like this is the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted in 1989 and ratified in Germany in 1992. It guarantees children, among other things, the right to equal treatment, the right to leisure, play, and recreation, and the priority of the best interests of the child in all decisions affecting minors. Such initiatives remain essential, as studies regularly prove that many children – and also adults – do not fully know these fundamental rights in detail.
Source:
Hands-on exhibition on children’s rights in the Goethe-Galerie
Transparency note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.