PAULUS Museum Münster

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The treasury of St. Paul's Cathedral comprises liturgical objects, reliquaries, sculptures and textiles from around 1,200 years of diocesan history. From 1981 to 2017 it was on display in the Domkammer next to the cathedral, where more than 700 objects on three floors showed the history of the cathedral's liturgy and art. In 2017 the Domkammer had to close because of structural defects, above all faulty climate control; the pieces went into storage.

In September 2023, Cathedral Provost Hans-Bernd Köppen and the firm P / E / P Architekten + Stadtplaner presented the plans for a successor building. It was created in rented premises on Alter Steinweg, directly opposite the town and market church of St. Lamberti: a stone gatehouse and a gabled house that take up the historic plot structure of the old town in a modern form. At around 400 square metres, the exhibition space is smaller than in the old Domkammer. The museum is financed half by church tax funds and half by foundation funds; the cathedral chapter is the operator.

Instead of a permanent display, the PAULUS shows changing themed exhibitions in which selected pieces from the cathedral treasury meet loans and contemporary art. The opening exhibition about the apostle and cathedral patron Paul has been running since 27 August 2026. Among the most important works of the treasury are the golden bust reliquary of St. Paul from the 11th century, regarded as the oldest surviving Christian bust reliquary in Europe, and an early coconut reliquary.

Highlights

• Golden bust reliquary of St. Paul from the 11th century
• Coconut reliquary with reworked Abbasid rock crystal
• Gaming table said to have belonged to the Anabaptist king Jan of Leiden
• Cope of Prince-Bishop Erich I with embroidery from around 1510
• New building on Alter Steinweg opposite St. Lamberti

Operated by

Hohes Domkapitel des St.-Paulus-Doms

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission; booked tours and workshops are subject to a charge. Public exhibition talks for individual visitors are free of charge.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description

Inclusive exhibition talks on fixed dates: in German Sign Language with an interpreter, in plain language, and for sighted and blind visitors with audio-visual descriptions and tactile objects; an FM system is used. Also bookable for groups.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

Creative workshops (120 minutes each) for children, young people and families, such as making a treasure box, gilding simple objects or experiments with light and shadow.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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