Brehms Welt – Tiere und Menschen

Current exhibitions

About the museum

From 1813, Christian Ludwig Brehm (1787–1864) served as pastor in Renthendorf. The "bird pastor" assembled an enormous collection of preserved birds and is considered one of the pioneers of scientific ornithology. His son Alfred Edmund Brehm (1829–1884) became world-famous as an explorer, zoo director and author of "Brehms Tierleben" (Brehm's Life of Animals). After the father's death, the family built a home of its own in 1864/65 near the church and parsonage.

In 1946 Alfred Brehm's daughter Frieda Pöschmann set up two memorial rooms in this house with the family's furniture – the beginnings of the Brehm memorial. In 1952 the building was donated to the municipality; over the following decades, volunteer directors steadily expanded the exhibition and collection. In 2012 the memorial had to close for financial reasons.

A special-purpose association of several municipalities and the Brehm Foundation, established in 2017, made a comprehensive renovation and new concept possible. In August 2020 the house reopened as "Brehms Welt – Tiere und Menschen" (Brehm's World – Animals and Humans) with a new permanent exhibition that starts from the Brehms and asks about behavioral research, nature and species conservation, and how we treat animals today. A glass extension for events was added in June 2026. The holdings include around 1,300 autographs, bird specimens and a family library of about 13,000 volumes. The museum received the 2022 Museum Prize of the Sparkassen-Kulturstiftung Hessen-Thüringen and the Thuringian Monument Preservation Prize.

Highlights

• The Brehm family home from 1864/65 with a modern permanent exhibition
• Life and work of "bird pastor" Christian Ludwig and "animal father" Alfred Edmund Brehm
• Historic rose garden and Brehm ensemble with church, parsonage and parish barn
• Family library with around 13,000 volumes
• Free audio guide "Brehms Hörwelt" (Brehm's Audio World) and children's audio guide

Permanent exhibitions

• Brehms Welt – Tiere und Menschen – Opened in 2020, the permanent exhibition follows Christian Ludwig and Alfred Edmund Brehm and traces a path from their observations to today's questions of animal welfare and species conservation.

Founded

1946

Operated by

Zweckverband Brehm-Gedenkstätte

Director

Jochen Süss

Admission & discounts

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• 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

Step-free entrance along the left side of the building (not at the main entrance); passenger elevator to all floors.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Kids’ birthday parties

Children's audio guide (at the ticket desk) and an activity booklet to fill in, child-friendly tours for families and children's groups, a small forest scavenger hunt and a digital museum suitcase. Children's group "Die jungen Naturforscher" (ages 6–12) every second Friday; children's birthday parties for up to 10 children, about 2 hours.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Amenities & dining

• Café

Museum café with a view.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit