Die Eulenburg. Universitäts- und Stadtmuseum Rinteln
University and city museum in the Eulenburg in Rinteln: town and fortress, witch trials, archaeology, university history, and the Weser.
About the museum
The museum's beginnings go back to 1908, when a local history museum for the County of Schaumburg opened in Rinteln. The foundation was formed by collections of the local teachers' seminary and the Verein für hessische Geschichte. The museum is run by the Heimatbund der Grafschaft Schaumburg, which was founded as a museum association in the same year and has carried its present name since 1923.
The museum is housed in the Eulenburg, a medieval Burgmannshof (castle-men's manor) of the von Rottorp family. Later the building served as the town house of Möllenbeck Abbey and, from 1651 to 1821, as the seat of the Hessian-Schaumburg government. The museum moved in in 1938; between 1942 and 1967 operations in the building were interrupted.
At the end of the 1990s the building was renovated and the exhibition fundamentally redesigned. Since 2000 the permanent exhibition has shown, across around 400 square meters, five main themes: the town and fortress of Rinteln, the prehistory and early history of Schaumburg, the witch persecution of the 17th century, the history of the university "Academia Ernestina," founded in 1621 and dissolved in 1810, and the Weser landscape.
Dioramas, models, listening stations, and experiment stations complement the collection pieces from around 10,000 years. Besides the permanent exhibition, the museum shows changing special exhibitions and offers tours, lectures, and programs for schools and children.
Highlights
- Interactive model of the Hessian fortress town of Rinteln
- Listening stations on a Rinteln witch trial of 1654
- Contemporary copy of the "Cautio Criminalis," printed in Rinteln in 1631
- Section on the university "Academia Ernestina" (1621–1810)
- Archaeological "Zeitschacht" (time shaft) in the stairwell
- Walk-in micro caravan from 1965
Permanent exhibitions
- Stadt und Festung Rinteln – Everyday life and crises of the town from crafts and trade to plague and town fires, with an interactive model of the former Hessian fortress and garrison town and rotating display cases on town history.
- Hexenverfolgung in Schaumburg – In the 17th century Rinteln was a center of witch trials; listening stations let those involved in a proceeding of 1654 speak, along with original objects such as the executioner's tools and law books.
- Universitätsgeschichte – Paintings, books, physical instruments, and a model tell of teaching and student life at the University of Rinteln between 1621 and 1810.
- Founded
- 1908
- Operated by
- Heimatbund der Grafschaft Schaumburg e. V.
- Director
- Dr. Stefan Meyer
- Visitors per year
- approx. 9,100 (2022)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €2 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €1Children and teens |
| Children & teens | €1free up to age 6 · Elementary schools from the Rinteln city area have free admission. |
| Groups | –Museum tour (about 45–60 min.) €40 per group, combined city and museum tour €70. |
| Admission during special exhibitions | €3.50Children and teens €1.50, children under 7 free. |
Members of the Heimatbund der Grafschaft Schaumburg have free admission. During the interactive exhibition "3. Rintelner Murmelherbst" (September 26 – November 29, 2026), admission is €3, for children aged 3 and up €2.
Accessibility
- Partially 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
Most of the exhibition rooms can be reached by elevator and are wheelchair-accessible; the fourth floor (Weser section) cannot be reached by elevator, and there is a step in front of the witch trials section. Benches and portable folding seats are available in all sections.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Kids’ birthday parties
Interactive stations, listening stations, and models in the permanent exhibition. Holiday workshops for 8- to 12-year-olds (max. 10 children, registration required), children's tours with original objects to touch, and a city and museum rally for 8- to 13-year-olds. Children's birthday parties by arrangement.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
Museum shop with regional literature, antiquarian books, and souvenirs.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 45 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Free audio guides present over 50 exhibits in detail. Themed tours (about 45–60 minutes) on all sections; also combined city and museum tours, bicycle excursions, and guided hikes by arrangement. For schools: tours, a half-timbering workshop, and city and museum rallies; admission and tours are free for elementary school students. |
