Apothekenmuseum Hofgeismar
Pharmacy museum in Hofgeismar's medieval “Steinernes Haus” with a dispensary from 1801, an alchemist's cellar and an apothecary garden – free admission.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum goes back to the Sander family of pharmacists in Hofgeismar, who over nine generations kept the instruments, vessels and materials of their pharmacy. Its core is the interior of the Hirschapotheke, which Carl Friedrich Sander had fitted out in 1801 and which remained in operation almost unchanged until 1974. It is complemented by items from the Hubertus-Apotheke, the former Brunnen-Apotheke at the Gesundbrunnen from 1768 and the Dedolph'sche Alte Apotheke near Hanau, as well as by donations and purchases.
Since 1989 the museum has been housed in the “Steinernes Haus”, a stone chamber built around 1239 and one of the oldest surviving secular buildings in the region, which once served as a storehouse and dwelling. For about 30 years it was run as a private pharmacy museum. In 2014 it passed to the town of Hofgeismar and has been open to the public again since the Hessentag 2015; volunteers keep it running.
Over more than 400 square metres, the tour leads from the groin-vaulted cellar with distilling furnaces and laboratory equipment, reminiscent of an alchemist's kitchen, past the cabinets of the Hubertus-Apotheke and the reconstructed dispensary with original vessels, to homeopathic remedies, a collection of chemicals and drugs, and a specialist library. On the ground floor, a section commemorates Heinrich Wilhelm Sander, who founded a sugar factory in 1841. The house also has an apothecary garden with over 100 medicinal and culinary plants.
Highlights
- Original interior of the Hirschapotheke from 1801
- Vaulted cellar with distilling furnaces like an alchemist's kitchen
- “Steinernes Haus” from 1239
- Apothecary garden with over 100 medicinal plants (April–October)
- Free audio guide and museum treasure hunt for children
Permanent exhibition
- Vom Alchemisten zum Apotheker – A tour across four levels, from the laboratory cellar with distilling furnaces through the dispensary of 1801 to the drug collection and specialist library – pharmacy history from the holdings of the Sander family of pharmacists.
- Founded
- 1989
- Operated by
- Stadt Hofgeismar
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Groups | €2 per personGuided tours by arrangement: €2 per person, minimum €40 (up to 20 people); for 25 or more people the group is split and the price is agreed individually. |
|---|
Free admission, donations welcome.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- 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
The museum is not accessible without barriers. A special tour can be arranged for people with disabilities.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
Museum treasure hunt for children with the “Apothekengespenst” (pharmacy ghost), available free of charge at reception during opening hours.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
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| Audio guide | yes (DE) |
| Good to know | Free audio guide. Regular public guided tours (free of charge, dates on the website); group tours at any time by arrangement. |
