Bergwinkelmuseum

About the museum

The museum of the town of Schlüchtern is housed in the Lauter’sches Schlösschen, a noble residence built around 1440 that survives as a three-storey late Gothic manor house. In 1798 the salt administrator Wilhelm Stickel acquired the former moated castle; he was a close friend of the Grimm family, who often visited from nearby Steinau, and Ludwig Emil Grimm drew the building in 1850.

The museum was established in 1948 and completely redesigned in 2007. Rather than a traditional local history museum, it sets particular focal points and tells the history of Schlüchtern and the Bergwinkel through the people who lived here – from Abbot Petrus Lotichius and the humanist Ulrich von Hutten, through the Neuwerk movement of the 1920s and the Jewish community with its synagogue of 1898, to the soap-manufacturing Wolf family and other personalities. Film installations and hands-on stations complement the exhibits.

Dedicated sections are devoted to the Grimm collection with drawings and watercolours by Ludwig Emil Grimm, the paintings of Felix “Ramholz” Muche and his son, the Bauhaus master Georg Muche, and the “Schlüchtern Love Stories” with letters and trousseaus from the Biedermeier period; a wedding room is located in the vaulted cellar. Under the roof, an automatically controlled model railway shows the line from Schlüchtern station to the Distelrasen Tunnel, along with a small Lummerland and the locomotive Emma. Since 2025 there has been a room for temporary exhibitions on the second floor.

Highlights

• Lauter’sches Schlösschen, a noble residence from around 1440
• Grimm collection with works by Ludwig Emil Grimm
• Paintings by Felix “Ramholz” Muche and Bauhaus master Georg Muche
• Model railway of the Schlüchtern–Distelrasen Tunnel line that visitors can start themselves
• Lummerland layout with the locomotive Emma for children

Permanent exhibitions

• Schlüchterner Geschichte in Lebensläufen – Town and regional history from the 16th to the 20th century, told through personalities from Ulrich von Hutten to the Neuwerk movement and the Jewish community.
• Grimm- und Muche-Sammlung – Drawings, watercolours and family pieces of the Grimms, as well as paintings by Felix “Ramholz” Muche and Georg Muche.
• Modellbahn im Museum – Computer-controlled layout in the attic with the railway line from Schlüchtern station to the Distelrasen Tunnel, plus a Lummerland layout.

Founded

1948

Operated by

Stadt Schlüchtern

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free until further notice.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Not accessible due to listed-building protection. According to the house rules, manual wheelchairs and prams may be used; assistance dogs are allowed.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Hands-on stations

Hands-on stations; the model railway and a Lummerland layout with the locomotive Emma can be started at the push of a button. Children under six only when accompanied by adults.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Coat check

Please leave larger bags and backpacks (A4 size and larger) and umbrellas in the cloakroom.

Events & venue rental

• Weddings / ceremonies

A wedding room has been set up in the museum’s vaulted cellar.

Plan your visit