Museum der Stadt Gronau (Leine)

About the museum

The municipal museum of Gronau on the Leine is housed in the Engelbrechten'sche Hof, a former castle-vassal manor on Junkernstraße. The noble Bock von Northolz family held a fief estate here from the founding of the town around 1300, which fell victim several times to fires and the Hildesheim Diocesan Feud. The present Renaissance-style building was completed in 1590; a coat-of-arms plaque above the entrance commemorates the builders Barthold Bock von Northolz and Anna von Sversen.

After the family died out, the fief passed in 1632 to the Brunswick-Lüneburg chancellor Arnold Engelbrechten, whose descendants, later ennobled, held the manor for generations. In the great town fire of 1703 it was one of the few houses spared. From about 1800 tenants lived here, and in 1973 Friedrich von Engelbrechten transferred the house to the town.

After several years of restoration, the museum and the town archive moved into the listed building in 1982; since the archive was relocated in 2003, it has served the museum alone. On display are finds from excavations, household goods, clothing and pictures by regional artists from the Gronau area. A focus is the permanent exhibition on the Breiner family of photographers, with 19th-century photographs, cameras and a furnished darkroom. The museum team regularly adds special exhibitions, and civil weddings take place in the fireplace room.

Highlights

• Renaissance manor house from 1590 with a coat-of-arms plaque above the entrance
• Permanent exhibition on Gronau's Breiner family of photographers
• Historic 19th-century photographs and a darkroom with laboratory equipment
• Fireplace room as a wedding venue of the registry office
• Free admission

Permanent exhibitions

• Fotografenfamilie Breiner – Estate of the Gronau photography dynasty with 19th-century pictures, historic cameras and a complete darkroom.
• Stadtgeschichte Gronau – Excavation finds, household goods, clothing and works by regional artists tell of everyday life in the small town on the Leine.

Founded

1982

Operated by

Stadt Gronau (Leine)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free.

Accessibility

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

Kids & families

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

Getting there & parking

By car via the A 7 (from the direction of Hannover exit 59, from the direction of Göttingen exit 69) and then via the B 3 to Gronau (Leine).

Amenities & dining

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

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Weddings / ceremonies

Civil weddings in the fireplace room. Rooms of the museum can be rented in accordance with the house and usage rules and the town's fee schedule.

Plan your visit