September 5, 2026 – January 31, 2027
Alles im Angebot
Traveling exhibition on disinformation, digital violence, and the interests behind online platforms, with an accompanying program of readings and workshops.
Dithmarscher Landesmuseum
Cultural history museum in Meldorf covering 1,200 years of Dithmarschen: the peasant republic, the 1447 land law, and walk-in everyday settings up to the 1960s.
Opening hoursAdmission from €6 Wheelchair accessible
Current exhibitions
September 26, 2026 – May 9, 2027
Zinn und weg – Die Geschichte eines fast vergessenen Materials
Pewterware of the 17th and 18th centuries from the collection in dialogue with works by students of the Muthesius Kunsthochschule (Muthesius University of Fine Arts and Design), complemented by a timeline on the history of the metal.
About the museum
At the suggestion of Meldorf's citizens' association, the "Museum Dithmarsischer Altertümer" (Museum of Dithmarschen Antiquities) was founded in 1872, initially preserving everyday objects that were being displaced by industrial mass-produced goods. After just two years, the districts of Norderdithmarschen and Süderdithmarschen took over its operation. After beginnings in the Gelehrtenschule (grammar school) and the old parsonage, the collection received its own building in 1896, whose floor plan echoes a farmhouse and a three-aisled church – it is considered the oldest surviving purpose-built museum in Schleswig-Holstein.
An extension with a lecture hall and additional exhibition rooms followed in 1924. After the grammar school moved, the museum gradually took over the 1859 Gelehrtenschule building and built up a collection on everyday culture between 1870 and the 1960s there. Over the course of its history, the museum evolved from a refuge for endangered cultural heritage into an ideologically charged hall of fame and then into an open regional museum.
After a good three years of renovation, the museum of the district of Dithmarschen reopened in September 2023. Since then, a new building on Domstraße has connected the old buildings, made them accessible, and provided space for special exhibitions. The permanent exhibition asks what defines Dithmarschen and leads from the peasant republic with its land law and battles through the German Empire, the world wars, and the Nazi era to furnished ensembles such as a cinema, a pub, and an operating room. The section covering the period from 1945 onward will be gradually redesigned from 2027. The museum also includes the information pavilion at the Dusenddüwelswarf near Hemmingstedt.
Highlights
- Dithmarschen land law of 1447
- Reconstructed courtroom of bailiff Markus Swin from 1568
- Complete cinema, pub, hair salon, and operating room
- Oldest surviving purpose-built museum in Schleswig-Holstein
- Battle panorama "Hemmingstedt 1500" at the Dusenddüwelswarf
Permanent exhibitions
- Was ist Dithmarschen? – Chronological tour from the landscape and the peasant republic through the German Empire, the world wars, and the Nazi era to walk-in everyday ensembles from the 1920s to the 1960s.
- Founded
- 1872
- Operated by
- Kreis Dithmarschen
- Director
- Alexander Eggert
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | €3free up to age 5 · Children and young people up to 18 |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed |
| Visitors with disabilities | freePeople with severe disabilities free |
| Students & apprentices | –No student discount listed |
| Groups | –School classes €2 per pupil, teachers and school aides free |
| Families | €15 |
| Evening ticket (Wed from 17:00) | €3 |
| Guided tour | €50Flat fee plus admission |
Museum puzzle via the Actionbound app at no extra charge. The Dusenddüwelswarf is freely accessible.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Accessible since the renovation; the elevator is in the new entrance building, so the chronological tour cannot be followed in the intended order without barriers. Assistance dogs allowed, otherwise no dogs.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €15 |
Puzzle game "Das mysteriöse Paket" (The Mysterious Package) via the Actionbound app for teens and adults; museum suitcases and programs for school classes.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
ZOB Meldorf · 10-min walk
Meldorf train station or ZOB Meldorf (bus lines including 2503, 2504, 2506, 2507, 2582, 2583), about 10 minutes on foot from each.
By car
Free parking
Free museum parking lot on Domstraße; short-term parking with a parking disc on Bütjestraße. Tour buses stop for drop-off on Bütjestraße and park at the Kampstraße/B431 roundabout.
Amenities & dining
- Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours can be booked (€50 plus admission). Numerous free school programs (only admission of €2 per child), e.g., a historical school lesson, farm life, or Carsten Niebuhr's journey to Arabia. Puzzle game "Das mysteriöse Paket" (The Mysterious Package) via the Actionbound app (60–90 min). Accompanying program for special exhibitions according to the event calendar. |
