Client: Frankfurter Buchmesse & the city of Frankfurt
Year: 2024
The Great Escape Room: Bringing Goethe’s Italian Journey into the streets of Frankfurt
In 2024, the Frankfurter Buchmesse welcomed its Guest of Honour Italy. A country that is rich in literature, art, and culture. Two centuries earlier, Johann Wolfgang Goethe, one of Frankfurt’s greatest minds, had set out on his famous Italian Journey. What began in 1786 as a personal escape became a turning point in his life, shaping his work and worldview for years to come.
Inspired by this story, the event installation “The Great Escape Room” brought Goethe’s journey into the present – and into the streets of Frankfurt. The idea was to connect the Guest of Honour Italy with the city’s literary heart, turning Goethe’s historical adventure into an experience anyone could join.
At the center stood an escape room on Paulsplatz, right in the middle of Frankfurt’s old town. The installation invited visitors to follow Goethe’s footsteps, solve riddles, and uncover the spirit of discovery that once drove him south. By moving the experience out of the fairgrounds and into public space, the project reached far beyond the traditional book-fair audience creating a shared moment between the city, its people, and the world of books.
From Story to Street: The Great Escape Unfolds
For one week in October, Paulsplatz turned into a live stage for exploration. The escape-room installation drew long lines of visitors. From curious locals to international book-fair guests – all eager to step inside Goethe’s reimagined apartment in Rome. Groups of up to six people had around twenty minutes to crack clues, discover hidden notes, and unlock the final puzzle to potentially win tickets for the Frankfurter Buchmesse including one Golden Ticket.
The tasks were inspired by Goethe’s Italian Journey and designed to blend history, literature, and playful interaction. The response was overwhelming: thousands took part, and local media called the project a highlight of this year’s Buchmesse. The experience not only captured attention in the city center but also sparked engagement online, as participants shared their “escape” moments on social media.
