"One of the best composers of all time, Ludwig van Beethoven and his work continues to enthrall people everywhere, even 250 years after his birth! It's a great pleasure for us to contribute to the 2020 celebration with this multimedia exhibit on Beethoven's life and work, and we're proud to offer our logistics expertise to make the exhibit available to people around the world," says Frank Appel, CEO Deutsche Post DHL Group. "Beethoven was a visionary. He revolutionized the music of his time and has since inspired generations of musicians. Our company is equally innovative and has been bringing people together since 1490 - through the introduction of the postal service, the invention of express delivery services, or today with our goal of zero-emission logistics." 

"The exhibition 'BTHVN on Tour' will be shown in 2019 and 2020 in several large concert halls around the world. It is intended to arouse curiosity about Beethoven's anniversary in 2020, to give an insight into Beethoven's life, work and influence, and, in addition to unique exhibits from the Beethoven-Haus Bonn collection, it also has multimedia and interactive elements," says Malte Boecker, Director of the Beethoven-Haus Bonn.

Transport logistics extremely demanding due to irreplaceable exhibits

The mobile exhibition consists of eight modules on the composer's life and work, with a strong emphasis on multimedia and interactive elements. The exhibition also contains valuable original objects from Beethoven-Haus Bonn, some of which are being shown internationally for the first time: an original ear trumpet used by the composer and an original print from Andy Warhol's Beethoven series from 1987. The cargo will be transported in special containers using DHL SmartSensor technology that permits temperature, humidity and light levels as well as shocks and vibrations to be continuously monitored. 

"Both the design and the logistics behind this kind of an exhibit are challenging. The equipment for 'BTHVN on Tour' will travel some 50,000 kilometers - via air, but also by road freight. The delicate and in some cases irreplaceable exhibits need to be transported to every exhibition venue safely but also expediently - protected against vibrations and temperature variations. As a longtime logistics partner of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, as well as other orchestras, DHL specialists have years of experience in this field," says Vincenzo Scrudato, Managing Director Trade Fairs & Events GmbH at DHL.

50 Years of DHL - Beethoven exhibition kicks off a series of highlights

The transportation of the Beethoven exhibition is the start for a series of highlights that will mark DHL's 50th anniversary in 2019. These include a tree planting campaign as part of Bryan Adam's "Shine A Light" tour, which DHL is supporting as an official logistics partner, the joint Formula E and DHL competition for Formula E fans on the occasion of the 50th Formula E race worldwide, and a "50 Special Deliveries" campaign to be carried out throughout the  year. In addition to these centrally managed activities, many DHL subsidiaries in countries around the globe are also preparing local measures. The climax will be employee celebrations on September 25, DHL's founding day.