The many faces of the mystical king Redbad
Large-scale German-Dutch exhibition project about the legendary ruler of the Frisians
He defied the Franks and united the Frisians from present-day Belgium through the Netherlands to the mouth of the Weser. His victory over Charles Martel, the steward of the Frankish kings and grandfather of Charlemagne, is historically proven. But myths and legends also surround Redbad, the ruler of the Frisians. For example, he is said to still be waiting for his return under the Radbodsberg in Dunum or the Plytenberg in Leer. He is even mentioned in Wagner’s opera Lohengrin as the father of the hero’s opponent. Redbad therefore offers room for interpretation, and these interpretations will be displayed on both sides of the border in a major exhibition from September 2026 to March 2027.
The Fries Museum in Leeuwarden and the Ostfriesisches Landesmuseum in Emden are working closely together on this project. The exhibition “The Many Faces of Redbad” will open in Leeuwarden in September this year. It will remain there until early 2027. The exhibition will then move to the Landesmuseum Emden, where it will open in March. In addition, accompanying teaching materials for schools are being developed, two scientific publications are being prepared and various cross-border meetings for different interest groups are being held. Furthermore, a role-playing game on this theme, similar to the famous Dungeons and Dragons, is currently being developed.
In February, a cross-border teacher exchange on this theme will take place. Teachers from Germany and the Netherlands will delve into the history of the Frisian king Redbad and together come up with ideas on how to cover this part of German-Dutch history in their lessons. An exchange on the differences and similarities between the various school systems is also on the agenda. The two-day working meetings will take place in both the Netherlands and Germany.
The scientific publications are now almost complete. The texts by the various authors now need to be edited and formatted so that the books can be published before the end of this year. They offer interested parties the opportunity to learn more about Redbad. On the one hand, there will be a book based largely on a scientific approach to Redbad. On the other hand, there will be a book aimed at a broad group of readers who want to approach the subject in a popular scientific way.
Another publication is in the pipeline with the role-playing game. Pen-and-paper games are back in vogue, not least because of the success of contemporary television series. That is why the Redbad project is also accompanied by a role-playing game. Players immerse themselves in the Middle Ages around the year 700 and explore the world of Redbad in an exciting and entertaining way. They have to make decisions and go on adventures, repeatedly crossing paths with the Frisian king. The Redbad role-playing game will find many fans both at home and in the classroom. All publications will, of course, be published bilingually in German and Dutch.
The initiator of the project is the Fries Museum, other partners are the Ostfriesisches Landesmuseum Emden, the Ostfriesische Landschaft, Learning Hub Friesland, educational institution Firda, Niedersächsisches Institut für historische Küstenforschung, Stichting Mythemakers, the Fryske Akademy and the University of Groningen.
Project REDBAD is being carried out as part of the Interreg VI programme Deutschland-Nederland and is co-financed by the European Union, the Niedersächsische Ministerium für Bundes- und Europaangelegenheiten und Regionale Entwicklung, the Province of Fryslân and the Province of Groningen.
