Deutsches Tapetenmuseum

A world-class wallpaper collection spanning 600 years – currently without an exhibition; a new building on Brüder-Grimm-Platz is scheduled to open in fall 2027.

Temporarily closed

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Temporarily closed (expected until 2027). No permanent exhibition since 2008; the collection is accessible only through the online catalog and in special exhibitions. The new building on Brüder-Grimm-Platz was originally due to open in spring 2027; because of construction delays, the opening is now planned for fall 2027, after the end of documenta 16.

About the museum

The Deutsches Tapetenmuseum (German Wallpaper Museum) was initiated by wallpaper manufacturers who founded a supporting association in 1920 to document the history of their trade and showcase wallpaper as cultural heritage. On June 30, 1923, the museum opened in the Rotes Palais on Kassel's Friedrichsplatz; many pieces came from the holdings of manufacturers and dealers. In the years that followed, the collection grew rapidly, including Asian wallpapers and decorated papers.

An air raid in September 1941 destroyed a large part of the holdings, though several thousand wallpapers were saved. From 1948, the museum was shown on a smaller scale in Schloss Wilhelmshöhe, and from 1976 to 2008 in the Hessisches Landesmuseum. When that building was renovated, the wallpaper exhibition closed too, and the collection went into storage.

Today the collection comprises more than 23,000 objects – from 16th-century gilt leather wall hangings and numerous French panoramic wallpapers to contemporary non-woven designs – and is considered one of the most important wallpaper collections in the world. The museum also advises heritage offices and palace administrations on historic wallpapers. On Brüder-Grimm-Platz, a new building has been under construction since the foundation stone was laid on June 30, 2023 – exactly 100 years after the first opening. It incorporates the historic Torwache (gatehouse), where the Brothers Grimm lived from 1814 to 1822. Across some 1,500 square meters, 21 staged room cabinets are to lead visitors through six centuries of wallpaper history.