Bergbau- und Industriemuseum Ostbayern

About the museum

For centuries the Upper Palatinate (Oberpfalz) was a center of iron ore mining and smelting, later joined by kaolin, glass and porcelain. To research and present this heritage for all of Eastern Bavaria, the district of Amberg-Sulzbach founded the Bergbau- und Industriemuseum Ostbayern (Mining and Industry Museum of Eastern Bavaria) in 1972; it opened in Theuern near Kümmersbruck in 1978.

The museum is housed in Hammerschloss Theuern, whose foundation stone was laid in 1780. The late Baroque building incorporates an older hunting lodge from 1682 and, together with farm buildings, forms a four-wing complex around an inner courtyard; surviving features include a staircase with a carved banister and a salon with Rococo doors.

Typical industrial monuments of the region have been rebuilt nearby: the Staubershammer iron hammer mill from Auerbach, a grain mill with an attached glass grinding and polishing works, which has also housed the Strommuseum Ostbayern (Eastern Bavarian Electricity Museum) since 1996, and the headframe and engine house of the Bayerland mine near Waldsassen, dating from the 1930s. Inside the palace, the permanent exhibition presents the industrial history of the Upper Palatinate since 1800, along with glass, porcelain and earthenware from Eastern Bavaria and Bohemia, and minerals.

As a "Kultur-Schloss" (culture palace), the building also serves as a venue for concerts, cabaret, conferences and celebrations. Since spring 2026 the palace courtyard has been undergoing renovation, so the main building is only accessible on guided tours.

Highlights

• Hammerschloss from 1780 as the museum's home
• Working iron hammer mill from Auerbach
• Glass grinding and polishing works with the Strommuseum Ostbayern
• Headframe and engine house of the Bayerland mine
• Permanent exhibition "Made in Ostbayern" on industry since 1800
• Glass, porcelain and earthenware from Eastern Bavaria and Bohemia

Permanent exhibitions

• Made in Germany – Made in Ostbayern – Six chapters trace the industrialization of the Upper Palatinate from 1800 to the present – with company artifacts, media stations and hands-on elements. Currently accessible only on guided tours.
• Lebensart und Tafelfreude – Glass, porcelain and earthenware from Eastern Bavaria and Bohemia, from everyday tableware to special items such as uranium glass.
• Strom damals – Strommuseum Ostbayern – This branch site in the glass grinding works tells how electricity came to the region and looks at generation and grids in the energy transition.

Founded

1972

Operated by

Landkreis Amberg-Sulzbach

Admission & discounts

School students and youth groups €1. Private guided tours incl. admission: 1–15 people €50, 16–25 people €65 (booking required). Public guided tour €6 per person incl. admission. Events such as the potato festival (Kartoffelfest) have separate admission.

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

The website gives no information on the physical accessibility of the palace and branch sites.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

Tours and museum education activities are tailored to age groups, such as blacksmithing, herb and fossil hunting; for school classes, the Montankiste (mining box) with replicas, ore samples and tablet content.

Getting there & parking

A 6, exit 66 Amberg-Süd/Kümmersbruck, then follow the signs to Theuern.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop (also online) with publications from the book series.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 400 guests.

Large hall (386 m², up to 400 people, approx. 250 seated, stage and Steinway grand piano), small hall, foyer, kitchen and inner courtyard; free choice of caterer; rent charged per hour or part thereof, reduced rates for nonprofit associations. During the 2026 courtyard renovation, no rentals for weddings and parties are available.

Plan your visit