Location: Kirchplatz 6
Tel. +49 0921/ 764 0111
Open: 10am- 5pm Tue- Sun Sept- June
10am- 5pm July- Aug
The Bayreuth Historical Museum, initially called the "City Museum", is the oldest museum in the Upper Franconian city of Bayreuth. It has an eventful history, the goal of which was to preserve and make public local and regional cultural assets by citizens interested in culture in cooperation with the city administration. In 1997 it was awarded the Bavarian Museum Prize.
Founding (Late 19th Century)
The museum’s origins trace back to
the late 19th century, when history-conscious Bayreuth citizens and
local associations grew alarmed at the ongoing destruction and dispersal
of historical documents, artifacts, and cultural objects. They produced
a detailed memorandum (Denkschrift) urging the city to act. On 5
December 1894, the city council (Magistrat der königlichen
Kreishauptstadt Bayreuth) formally approved the creation of a municipal
museum and established a dedicated museum fund.
In the following
decades (roughly until 1930), the core collection grew almost entirely
through gifts, bequests, and occasional purchases. By 1911, the
holdings—spanning various art genres—had become substantial enough to
require proper storage; a depot was set up in 1912. The early focus was
on preserving local heritage, especially items tied to the margravial
epoch.
Early 20th Century: First Public Access and Challenges
After World War I, the collections were first opened to the public in
1924 in rented rooms inside the Neues Schloss (New Palace). During the
National Socialist period in the 1930s, cultural heritage from earlier
eras received little official attention. World War II and the immediate
postwar period (1945) inflicted heavy, irretrievable damage: many
objects were lost to bombing, plunder, looting, and vandalism.
Postwar Reopening and Growth (1960s–1980s)
The museum was reopened in
1960 in the east wing of the Neues Schloss, with renovations overseen by
architect Hermann Rothenbücher. Librarian Wilhelm Müller reorganized and
presented the material starting in 1964. From 1981 onward, historian
Sylvia Habermann (who also directed the city archive) oversaw major
expansions. Under her leadership, the collection gained international
significance, notably through the acquisition (as a permanent loan) of
Dr. Otto Burkhardt’s renowned faience collection—approximately 600
pieces from the historic Bayreuth faience manufactory founded in 1715 in
St. Georgen.
Space remained chronically inadequate, with much of the
collection still in storage. In 1984/1985, supporters founded the
“Freunde des Stadtmuseums” association (later renamed “Freunde des
Historischen Museums”), which quickly grew to around 600 members and
advocated for a permanent home. The city council selected the historic
Alte Lateinschule (Old Latin School) on Kirchplatz, next to the
Stadtkirche, as the ideal site. While renovation plans advanced, the
museum operated temporarily from the Lüchauhaus in Kanzleistraße
(1985–1996). The fire department, which had occupied the Latin School
building since 1876, moved out in 1988.
Move to the Alte
Lateinschule and Reconceptualization (1996 Onward)
After extensive
and costly renovation of the 17th-century building (which restored its
original façade while adapting interiors for modern museum use), the
collections were consolidated and reconceived for the first time in
their new permanent home. The museum officially opened on 27 June 1996
as the Historisches Museum Bayreuth under Sylvia Habermann’s direction.
It now spans 1,200 m² across three floors with 34 exhibition rooms. Just
one year later, in 1997, it received the prestigious Bayerischer
Museumspreis (Bavarian Museum Prize) for its innovative concept and
design.
Habermann curated more than 90 special exhibitions over the
following decades, continually expanding and reinterpreting the holdings
until her retirement around 2017. The museum’s collections have
continued to grow through further acquisitions and loans.
The
Building: A Historic Setting
The museum’s current home—the Alte
Lateinschule—adds its own rich layer of history:
A predecessor
school building was first documented in 1437.
After devastating city
fires in 1605 and 1621, a large new structure was built.
In 1664,
Margrave Christian Ernst elevated it to the Hochfürstliches illustres
Gymnasium Christian Ernestinum (the city’s oldest gymnasium, which later
moved elsewhere).
It served as a girls’ school (1816–1875) before
becoming the central fire station (1876–1988).
The 1996 conversion
preserved the building’s historic character while creating a modern
museum.
What the Museum Covers Today
The permanent exhibition
traces Bayreuth’s development from its first documented mention through
the margravial residence period (17th–18th centuries) to the 20th
century and beyond. Highlights include:
A large scale model of
the city as it appeared in 1763.
Art and cultural history of the
margravial era (including an ornate 18th-century sedan chair).
The
Burkhardt faience collection.
Regional crafts (glass from the
Fichtelgebirge, stoneware from Creußen).
Biedermeier and
late-19th-century painting, handicrafts, and early industrial artifacts.
Musical instruments (e.g., a 1756 clavichord by Christian Gottlob
Hubert).
Rare 17th-century portraits by court painter Heinrich
Bollandt.
Regular special exhibitions on the ground floor explore
thematic aspects of local and regional history (e.g., the Weimar
Republic era in Bavaria or the 300th anniversary of the Eremitage).
The Historisches Museum Bayreuth (Historical Museum Bayreuth) is the
city’s oldest museum, founded in 1894 by history-conscious citizens who
wanted to preserve Bayreuth’s historical documents and artifacts from
being lost or destroyed. It has been housed since 1996 in the Alte
Lateinschule (Old Latin School), a historic 17th-century building at
Kirchplatz 4, right next to the Stadtkirche in the city center. The
museum covers more than 800 years of Bayreuth’s urban and regional
history, with a strong emphasis on its time as the margravial residence
in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The permanent exhibition spans 1,200
square meters across 34 rooms on three floors and gives a comprehensive,
multi-layered overview of the city’s development—from medieval
beginnings through economic, cultural, and political changes to the
modern era. It is complemented by changing special exhibitions (usually
in three ground-floor rooms totaling about 120 m²), events, and
educational programs aimed at all generations. The museum also holds the
world’s largest collection of Bayreuth faience on permanent loan from
the private collection of Dr. Otto Burkhardt.
Permanent
Exhibition: A Virtual Floor-by-Floor Tour
Ground floor (Erdgeschoss)
This level traces Bayreuth’s overall urban history and development from
the late Middle Ages to the 20th century. You’ll find documents,
artifacts, and displays covering trade, daily life, major political
events, and the city’s growth. A standout feature is the large, detailed
scale model of Bayreuth as it looked in 1763—at the height of its
margravial splendor under Margrave Friedrich and Margravine Wilhelmine.
The model shows streets, buildings, fortifications, and the surrounding
landscape, helping visitors visualize the baroque city layout before
later expansions and changes. Other sections address 19th- and
20th-century topics, including early industrialization, the Nazi period,
and post-war development.
First floor (Erster Stock)
Dedicated
entirely to the art and cultural history of the margravial epoch
(17th–18th centuries), when Bayreuth was the splendid residence of the
Brandenburg-Bayreuth margraves. This floor highlights courtly life,
architecture, fashion, and patronage of the arts. A highlight is an
ornately decorated 18th-century sedan chair (Sänfte)—a luxurious,
hand-carried transport vehicle used by the nobility, showcasing the
opulence and craftsmanship of the period. Displays also cover court
ceremonies, festivals, and the influence of figures like Margravine
Wilhelmine (sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia), whose cultural
ambitions shaped Bayreuth’s opera house, gardens, and palaces.
Upper floors
These levels focus on regional arts, crafts, and
everyday culture, with a strong emphasis on local production and
artistic traditions. The faience collection is the star attraction:
Bayreuth’s St. Georgen manufactory (founded 1715) produced fine
tin-glazed earthenware that rivaled porcelain. The museum displays the
most extensive public collection anywhere, featuring vases, plates,
figurines, and decorative pieces in vibrant colors and intricate
designs—many on permanent loan from Dr. Otto Burkhardt’s private
collection.
Additional galleries explore:
Glassware from the
glassworks (Glashütten) of the nearby Fichtelgebirge mountains.
Stoneware (Steinzeug) from Creußen, known for its robust, salt-glazed
pottery.
Paintings, handicrafts, and early industrial products from
the Biedermeier era (early 19th century) through the late 19th and early
20th centuries, illustrating the shift from courtly luxury to bourgeois
domestic life.
Musical instruments, including a rare clavichord by
Christian Gottlob Hubert (1756) and a 7-key maple flute by Bayreuth
maker Johann Simon Stengel (c. 1830), reflecting the city’s musical
heritage (which later intersected with Wagner).
Rare portraits:
Self-portraits and family portraits of 17th-century margraves painted by
court artist Heinrich Bollandt (1578–1653), on loan from the University
of Bayreuth’s historical chancellery library.
The exhibition
design integrates the historic building’s architecture—exposed beams,
old windows, and original rooms—creating an atmospheric backdrop that
makes the objects feel alive rather than sterile.
Current Special
Exhibition (as of March 2026)
“Bayreuth – Perspektiven einer Stadt”
(Bayreuth – Perspectives of a City)
Running from 15 February to 12
April 2026, this exhibition marks part of the museum’s 30th-anniversary
celebrations in the Old Latin School (motto: “Yesterday – Today –
Tomorrow”). It deliberately shifts the viewer’s gaze to the perspective
of a newcomer who has since made Bayreuth their home. The result is a
“crossover” of historical and contemporary views: overlapping historical
documents, modern photographs, artworks, maps, and personal objects that
offer multiple “overviews, insights, and through-views” (Ansichten,
Draufsichten, Durchsichten). It blends archival material with fresh
interpretations to explore how the city is perceived, remembered, and
re-imagined across time. The show deliberately avoids a single
narrative, inviting visitors to compare past and present perspectives.
Practical Information
Opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00–17:00
(closed 24 & 25 December; special hours on 31 Dec and 1 Jan).
Admission: Adults €2; reduced €1 (students, seniors, disabled); free for
children under 6, school groups, and museum association members. Guided
tours add €1 per person.
Accessibility: The building has modern
adaptations, though the historic structure means some areas may have
limited mobility access—check ahead.
Educational programs: Regular
workshops, lectures, and family activities tie into the exhibitions.