Buchheim Museum

Current exhibitions

About the museum

Lothar-Günther Buchheim (1918–2007), painter, publisher and author of the novel “Das Boot,” together with his wife Diethild assembled one of the most important private collections of German Expressionism from the postwar years onward. To preserve and display these holdings permanently, the couple established the nonprofit Buchheim Stiftung (Buchheim Foundation) at the end of 1995.

The “Museum der Phantasie” (Museum of Imagination) was built to plans by Günter Behnisch in the Höhenried park north of Bernried, right on the shore of Lake Starnberg. The long building, partly set into the slope, ends in a jetty that projects high above the water. The museum opened on May 23, 2001.

At its heart are paintings, watercolors and prints by the artists' group “Brücke,” with Kirchner, Heckel, Schmidt-Rottluff, Pechstein, Mueller and Nolde. Following Buchheim's concept, “secondary collections” – Bavarian folk art, crafts from around the world, objects from Africa and Oceania, and works by Buchheim himself – complement the Expressionist art. Parts of his house in Feldafing were transferred to the museum after it was demolished.

The donation of the Joseph Hierling collection, with around 1,300 works of Expressive Realism, prompted an extension, again designed by Behnisch Architekten. Construction has been underway since 2025; after partial closures, the expanded museum is scheduled to open fully in December 2026.

Highlights

• Paintings and prints by the “Brücke” artists (Kirchner, Heckel, Schmidt-Rottluff, Pechstein)
• Architecture by Günter Behnisch with a jetty above Lake Starnberg
• Objects from Africa and Oceania in the Turmsaal (tower hall)
• Reconstructed rooms from Buchheim's villa in Feldafing
• Lakeside museum park with sculptures
• Hierling collection of Expressive Realism (from December 2026)

Permanent exhibitions

• Sammlung Buchheim. Die »Brücke«-Künstler und der Aufbruch des Expressionismus – New presentation of the core collection with major works by Kirchner, Heckel, Schmidt-Rottluff, Mueller, Pechstein and Nolde in the context of non-European art and folk art.
• Haus Buchheim. Übertragungen – Original rooms from Buchheim's demolished villa in Feldafing, including the painted dining room, were transferred to the museum.
• Afrika & Ozeanien – In the Turmsaal (tower hall), the museum shows masks, figures and furniture from Buchheim's non-European collection.

Founded

2001

Operated by

Buchheim Stiftung

Director

Stephan Dahme

Admission & discounts

€1 discount for adults arriving with DB Regio (Deutschland-Ticket, Bayern-Ticket, Werdenfels-Ticket) or with MVV/MVG day tickets; €2 discount with a train ticket plus a taxi receipt. Reduced admission with the MuSeenKarte of the MuSeenLandschaft Expressionismus. Online tickets via Ticketfritz.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

All exhibition levels reachable by elevator, loan wheelchairs available as needed, accessible restrooms, dedicated parking for people with severe disabilities (with EV charging stations). Selected public tours with a sign language interpreter. Dogs are not allowed in the museum.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly

“Labor der Phantasie” (Imagination Lab): open studio on weekends and public holidays for everyone aged 6 and up (younger children accompanied), holiday courses for ages 6 to 10 and workshops also for families. All exhibition levels reachable by elevator; families with small children can borrow strollers.

Getting there & parking

From Munich take the A95 to the Seeshaupt exit, then the St2063 to Bernried; the museum is signposted. Taxi from Bernried or Tutzing station (€2 discount on admission with a train ticket and taxi receipt).

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop

Restaurant-café “Buffi” on the lakeshore (in new premises during construction; breakfast, hot meals, cakes). Museum shop with art books, also online.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 130 guests.

Event hall with lake view (up to 130 people in theater seating, 80 at set tables) with technical equipment and Wi-Fi, access to exhibitions, park and sun terrace; catering by Café Buffi; can be combined with guided tours.

Plan your visit