Deutsches Zeitungsmuseum
Museum on the history of the press and printing technology in the former abbey courtyard in Wadgassen – with printing presses, historical newspapers, and workshops.
About the museum
The collection goes back to the press historian Martin Welke, who founded a private newspaper museum in Meersburg on Lake Constance in 1989 and gathered thousands of objects over decades. About ten years later the Saarbrücker Zeitung acquired the holdings and passed them on to the Stiftung Saarländischer Kulturbesitz.
The abbey courtyard of the former Premonstratensian monastery of Wadgassen was restored as the new location; the Deutsches Zeitungsmuseum opened there in May 2004. The abbreviation DZM is today also read as the museum's program: Demokratie, Zeitgeschichte, and Medienkompetenz (democracy, contemporary history, and media literacy).
The permanent exhibition describes around 400 years of press history in Germany, from early modern broadsheets to the present, and makes clear what role a free press plays for democracy – including in times of censorship. The collection includes newspapers and magazines of the 17th and 18th centuries, a high-speed press by Koenig & Bauer from 1867, a first issue of the Süddeutsche Zeitung from 1945 signed by those involved in its founding, a Luther Bible from 1560, and more than 800 works by the cartoonist Hans-Georg Rauch. As an extracurricular learning venue, the museum offers numerous workshops on paper, writing, and printing.
Highlights
- High-speed press by Koenig & Bauer from 1867
- Broadsheets and newspapers of the 17th and 18th centuries
- Signed first issue of the Süddeutsche Zeitung from 1945
- Luther Bible of 1560
- Printing workshop with a historic hand press
Permanent exhibitions
- Ständige Ausstellung zur Pressegeschichte – Around 400 years of newspaper history from early broadsheets to today, with historic printing presses and the topic of freedom of the press.
- Founded
- 2004
- Operated by
- Stiftung Saarländischer Kulturbesitz
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3Groups of 10 or more paying people, holders of the Ehrenamtskarte or the SZ-Card, and members of the Bundesverband Museumspädagogik, the Deutscher Verband für Kunstgeschichte, the VHD, and the CISH |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 18 · Children and teens up to 18 years have free admission. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freePeople with severe disabilities (degree of disability 50 or higher) have free admission. |
| Students & apprentices | freeUniversity students, vocational school students, and volunteer service participants free. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €3 per personReduced admission for 10 or more paying people. |
Free admission: Free admission on Wednesdays from 15:00 and on the first Sunday of every month.
Card payment not possible. Free admission also with SaarlandCARD, Saar Pass, and SozialCard, for recipients of transfer benefits, and for members of the Fördergesellschaft (friends' society), the Deutscher Museumsbund, and ICOM.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- 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 side entrance next to the stairs to the main entrance; four accessible parking spaces about 30 m from the entrance, reachable via wide gravel paths. An elevator (90 cm wide) serves all floors of the permanent exhibition and the accessible restrooms on the third floor; the rooms for changing exhibitions are accessible via a lifting platform.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 18 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Kids’ birthday parties
Every first Sunday of the month a free hands-on workshop for children and families (13:30–16:00), such as papermaking, printing, or writing with quill and ink. Children's birthday parties with a tour and workshop (2 hours €70, 3 hours €100, up to 12 children).
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Bahnhof Bous · 10-min walk
By regional train to Bous, from there about a 10-minute walk.
By car
Parking available · 30 m to the entrance
Large parking lot directly in front of the building with four accessible parking spaces.
- Accessible parking
By car via the A620, exit Wadgassen, toward Wadgassen; leave the roundabout toward Bous and turn left onto the street Am Abteihof.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Coat check
- Lockers
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography only in certain cases with a photo permit, without flash and tripod; ask at the ticket desk. |
| Good to know | Group tours (max. 20 people) in German, English, and French for €50 plus reduced admission; workshops for school classes and daycare groups. Booking Mon–Fri 9:00–16:00 at tel. +49 6834 9423-0 or buchung@deutsches-zeitungsmuseum.de. Bags of about A4 size or larger must be left in the coat check or a locker. |
