To mark the 100th birthday of arguably the greatest icon of the 20th century, the Lichthalle MAAG is presenting "Becoming Marilyn Monroe" from March 27, 2026. The immersive exhibition takes a look behind the glamorous Hollywood façade and portrays the vulnerable woman behind the myth.
Visitors are immersed in the 1950s in a multimedia production. Innovative projections and documentary film material shed light on Norma Jeane Mortenson's path to international stardom. The narrative focuses not only on her great successes, but also on Marilyn's courage, her artistic strength and her drive for independence.
The international team around the Broadway International Group creates an interactive experience between dream and reality. Amidst reconstructed film sets and accompanied by a specially composed soundtrack, the biography of a woman who became one of the greatest legends in film history becomes tangible.
Marilyn Monroe - the blonde icon, the ultimate sex symbol, the legend. But behind the platinum blonde hair, her famous white dress and radiant smile was a woman who was far more complex, intelligent and surprising than Hollywood would have us believe at the time.
Here are five facts about Norma Jeane Mortenson (1926-1962) that you probably didn't know.
The famous breathy speech was not just an acting gimmick. Marilyn had suffered from a stammer since childhood. A speech therapist taught her to speak with a particularly airy, deep voice in order to overcome the blockages.
The image of the "dumb blonde" was purely artificial. At the time of her death, her private library contained over 400 books, including works by Dostoyevsky, Whitman and James Joyce. She was a regular visitor to bookshops and was often seen reading sophisticated literature during breaks in filming.
Contrary to the stereotype of the star who only drank champagne, Marilyn loved to cook. After her death, handwritten recipes of hers were found that were astonishingly elaborate. Her recipe for turkey stuffing, for example, took over two hours to prepare and included ingredients such as liver, heart and pine nuts.
In the 1950s, jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald was not allowed to perform in the popular club "Mocambo" because of racial prejudice. Marilyn called the owner personally and promised to sit in the front row every night if he booked Ella. It worked - and Ella became a star.
The performance for President John F. Kennedy's birthday in May 1962 was one of her last public appearances. The dress she wore was so tight that she had to be sewn right into it. It was auctioned off in 2016 for a whopping 4.8 million dollars.
