Aktives Museum Spiegelgasse
Volunteer-run museum of German-Jewish history in Wiesbaden, housed in a half-timbered house from 1735 in the old town.
About the museum
The museum is run by a citizens' association that was founded in March 1988 as a support group for an active museum of German-Jewish history in Wiesbaden and has used its current name since 2001. It aims to make Jewish life in the city visible as part of Wiesbaden's history, to document persecution and murder during the Nazi era, and to counter antisemitism and exclusion. Most of the work is done by volunteers.
The association uses two historic houses on Spiegelgasse. The half-timbered house at No. 11, dating from 1735, is considered the oldest surviving Jewish residence in the city; after restoration it opened as an exhibition house in summer 1999, initially with photographs of a deportation to Theresienstadt. The neighboring house at No. 9, where a Jewish bathhouse with a mikveh existed in the 18th and 19th centuries, contains the office, archive, and a specialist library of around 6,000 volumes.
The association became known above all for its Erinnerungsblätter (memorial sheets) with life stories of persecuted Jewish Wiesbaden residents and for laying Stolpersteine ("stumbling stones" memorial plaques); in September 2025 the 800th stone was added in Wiesbaden. In 2004 it received the Obermayer German Jewish History Award. The exhibition "Formen der Erinnerung" (Forms of Remembrance), on view since February 2025, brings these projects together. Since July 2026 there has also been an audio walk on the history of democracy in Wiesbaden.
Highlights
- Half-timbered house from 1735, the oldest surviving Jewish residence in Wiesbaden
- Exhibition "Formen der Erinnerung" with memorial sheets, Stolpersteine, and deportation photos
- Map of all Stolpersteine in Wiesbaden
- Guided tour with lecture on the first Saturday of every month
- Specialist library on German-Jewish history
Permanent exhibitions
- Formen der Erinnerung – Shows how Wiesbaden remembers the persecuted and murdered Jews of the city: with memorial sheets, Stolpersteine, photos of the deportation of September 1, 1942, and a map of all Stolpersteine in the city.
- Founded
- 1999
- Operated by
- Aktives Museum Spiegelgasse für Deutsch-Jüdische Geschichte in Wiesbaden e. V.
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
No accessibility information; the exhibition house is a historic half-timbered building in a rear courtyard.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 45 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours and the combined offer of a tour and a talk are available by arrangement for as few as 2 people; the tour with a talk takes about 30–45 minutes. The association develops educational programs with schools. There is also an audio walk, "Hörmal Demokratie", with stops around the city. |
