Dominikanermuseum Rottweil

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The Dominikanermuseum opened in 1992 in a new building on the site of the former Dominican monastery on the edge of Rottweil's old town. From the start, its roughly 1,400 square meters combined two focal points: Roman Rottweil and medieval sculpture. The museum is run by the town of Rottweil; two of its departments are also branch museums of state museums.

The department "römisches rottweil – arae flaviae" has belonged to the Archäologisches Landesmuseum Baden-Württemberg (state archaeological museum) since 2003 and was redesigned in 2011. It tells of a day in the life of a family on August 4, 186 AD – a date recorded on a wooden writing tablet that identifies Rottweil as a Roman municipium. At its center is the Orpheus mosaic, discovered in 1834; there are also finds from the military camps and the town, such as saddle fittings, a faucet for hot and cold water, and a wooden shoe last.

The department "sakrale kunst des mittelalters – sammlung dursch" is a branch museum of the Landesmuseum Württemberg. Its core is the collection of Rottweil dean Johann Georg Martin Dursch, who assembled late Gothic sculptures and panel paintings from 1836. It was on display in the nearby Lorenzkapelle from 1851 and was re-presented thematically in 2019.

Since 2009, the "kunst raum rottweil – museum der gegenwart" in the building has shown changing exhibitions of contemporary art. The museum also includes the Kunstsammlung Lorenzkapelle with Gothic stone figures from Rottweil's Kapellenkirche and fountain figures.

Highlights

• Roman Orpheus mosaic from Rottweil
• Writing tablet from 186 AD proving that Rottweil was a Roman town
• Late Gothic sculptures and panel paintings of the Dursch collection
• Changing exhibitions in the kunst raum rottweil
• Gothic stone figures in the Kunstsammlung Lorenzkapelle

Permanent exhibitions

• römisches rottweil – arae flaviae – Branch museum of the Archäologisches Landesmuseum: a tour through a day in Roman Rottweil in 186 AD, centered on the Orpheus mosaic, with reconstructions and hands-on stations.
• sakrale kunst des mittelalters – sammlung dursch – Branch museum of the Landesmuseum Württemberg: late medieval sculptures, reliefs, and panel paintings from Swabia, arranged by themes such as love, death, or protection, with a section on the workshop of Niklaus Weckmann.

Founded

1992

Operated by

Stadt Rottweil (Städtische Museen Rottweil)

Director

Martina Meyr

Admission & discounts

Free admission: International Museum Day and Tag des offenen Denkmals (Heritage Open Day)

Prices valid from January 1, 2026. Free admission with the Museums-PASS-Musées, SchwarzwaldCard, and DreiWelten Card or DreiWelten BürgerCard. Kunstsammlung Lorenzkapelle: pay what you wish.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• 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

The website provides no information on accessibility.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Kids’ birthday parties

Museum game about Roman Rottweil on loan iPods (ages 7 and up, €1 rental fee) and a free family booklet with puzzles and coloring pages. Hands-on stations with Roman clothing, board games, audio plays and models. Holiday programs and children's birthday parties by registration.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop with guidebooks, literature and replicas. Dogs are not allowed in the exhibition rooms but may wait in the foyer.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Weddings / ceremonies

Use of the facilities for weddings/receptions €150; external organizers €50 per hour or part thereof plus admission fees and a €100 provision fee (prices from January 1, 2026).

Plan your visit