1250 Years of Vilshofen on the Danube – City History in Light

In 2026, Vilshofen on the Danube celebrates a remarkable anniversary: in the year 776 the town was mentioned in a written document for the first time. From a small settlement at the confluence of the Danube and the Vils, it slowly grew into a vibrant town – shaped by trade and shipping, by monasteries and churches, by floods, reconstruction and repeated new beginnings.

This light art project takes the jubilee “1250 Years Since the First Mention of Vilshofen” as an opportunity to make the city’s history tangible in a new, sensory way. Throughout the year 2026, temporary light installations will appear at different locations in Vilshofen, transforming architecture, nature and urban spaces into atmospheric images of light, mist and shadow.

Each installation is linked to a specific moment in the town’s history: hidden within the projections there is always a year, pointing to a special event, a turning point or a development – from early traces of settlement and religious or economic milestones to more recent chapters of Vilshofen’s story. The town itself becomes a walkable chronicle of light.

What exactly will happen over the course of the year remains deliberately open: the installations change, places shift in character, familiar views appear in a new light. Sometimes the scene is quiet and meditative, sometimes dynamic and playful – but always an invitation to pause, look closer and connect with the history of Vilshofen.

On this project page you will gradually find background information on each light installation, explanations of the hidden years and notes on the historical references. Step by step, a glowing mosaic emerges: 1250 years of Vilshofen – told as a story of light on the Danube.