For 50 years, the Misereor hunger cloths have accompanied Lent in parishes, schools and families. To mark the anniversary, Misereor is organising an exhibition in Hofheim. On display are 25 hunger cloths, which take up key issues of global justice, peace and the integrity of creation as spiritual and artistic impulses.

Hannah Braucks, who is responsible for the hunger cloths at Misereor, emphasises their relevance for our time: "The hunger cloths combine art, spirituality and a view of global realities. Each cloth invites us to take a closer look - at the people, their stories and our shared responsibility." The exhibition in Hofheim makes this connection visible and invites us to re-read the hunger cloths as a mirror of our time.

The current hunger cloth 2025/26 by Leipzig artist Konstanze Trommer, for example, focuses on children from different continents. They move on a fragile island between threat and hope. With symbols such as the "Tent of Encounter", the work calls on us to give each other protection - and reminds us that love is an active force for change.

Centuries-old tradition revisited

Historically, hunger cloths date back to before the year 1000. As the "Bible of the poor", they told the story of salvation in impressive pictures - accessible even to people without reading skills. Misereor picked up on this tradition in the mid-1970s and has since combined the memory of Christ's suffering with current issues of hunger, justice and solidarity.

In July 1975, Erwin Mock, Hunger Shroud pioneer at Misereor, had the idea that "the age-old tradition of a Hunger Shroud" could be revived. "The first hunger cloth came out in 1976," says the 92-year-old from Allgäu. "I couldn't have imagined that it would be such a hit. When it was so well received, it was clear that we would stick with it."

Artistic accents

Since then, a new hunger cloth has been created every two years. It is usually designed by artists from the Global South and confronts us - beyond Lent - with existential questions. The exhibition in Hofheim now brings together important works from Jyoti Sahi's "Christ in the Tree of Life - Hope for All" (1976) to Konstanze Trommer's current work "Dreaming Together - Let Love Be Deed" (2025/2026).

Invitation to the exhibition

Vernissage: Fr., 20.02.2026, 17:00-18:00 o'clock

Location: Stadthalle Hofheim, Foyer, Chinonplatz 4

Exhibition: 20-22 February 2026