Private art museum in Hamburg's Jenischpark with the largest collection of Ernst Barlach's wooden sculptures and exhibitions on modern art.
June 21, 2026 – October 11, 2026
Around 70 sculptures and works on paper by the sculptor Ewald Mataré, above all highly simplified animal figures such as cows and horses, on loan from the Museum Kurhaus Kleve.
October 25, 2026 – February 7, 2027
More than 40 paintings by Ringelnatz, known above all as a poet and cabaret artist, organized in cooperation with the Ringelnatz-Museum Cuxhaven and the Buchheim Museum.
February 21, 2027 – June 6, 2027
To mark the 100th anniversary of Barlach's woodcut series for Schiller's "An die Freude" (Ode to Joy), international Hamburg-based artists present contemporary visions of community.
Hamburg businessman Hermann F. Reemtsma visited Ernst Barlach in Güstrow in 1934 and began collecting works by the artist, who had been ostracized by the National Socialists. He acquired the wooden figure "Der Asket" (The Ascetic) and prompted Barlach to complete the series of figures "Fries der Lauschenden" (Frieze of Listeners). By the time of Barlach's death in 1938, Reemtsma already owned some 20 sculptures and about 100 drawings.
At the end of the 1950s, Reemtsma transferred the collection to a foundation, which comprised around 50 sculptures and 150 drawings when it was established in 1960, and commissioned the architect Werner Kallmorgen to design a museum building in the Jenischpark on the Elbe. In October 1962, a year after Reemtsma's death, the museum opened as the first private art museum in northern Germany. Kallmorgen arranged bright rooms, deliberately on the scale of a private home, around an inner courtyard – a modern counterpart to the neighboring Neoclassical Jenisch Haus.
In 1995/96, the building was carefully extended; the inner courtyard received a flat glass roof and has since served as a sheltered sculpture court. The collection has grown to around 150 sculptures, more than 450 drawings, and almost the entire printed graphic work. With nearly 30 pieces, the museum owns about a third of all of Barlach's wooden sculptures.
Alongside changing presentations of its own Barlach holdings, the museum shows exhibitions on classical modernism and contemporary art, often featuring overlooked artists, and hosts the concert series "Klang & Form."
| Adults | €9 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €6Trainees, unemployed people, people doing voluntary or military service, people with disabilities, art-card holders, and members of certain museum and artists' associations |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people up to 18 free. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €6companion free · Reduced admission; companion ("B" on the ID) free. |
| Students & apprentices | freeStudents of all disciplines free. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €7 per personSchool and student groups free; please register groups in advance. |
| Families | €15Two adults with children/young people up to 18. |
| Annual pass | €25Includes invitations to exhibition openings |
| Concert ticket "Klang & Form" | €20Reduced €10, includes exhibition visit |
| Family concert ticket "Klang & Form" | €30Two adults with children up to 18, includes exhibition visit |
The regular day ticket entitles holders to reduced admission to the Jenisch Haus and the Bargheer Museum on the same day. Free admission also for the press, ICOM members, and staff of Hamburg museums, among others.
Not accessible because of its architecture; a visit can be arranged individually by phone (040 82 60 85), and a wheelchair is available. Group tours in German Sign Language on request.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €15 · Two adults with children/young people up to 18. |
Occasional children's and family events such as flashlight tours for children (ages 5–10), family days with hands-on activities, and children's previews of new exhibitions; children and young people up to 18 free, family ticket. Because of its architecture, the building is not accessible.
Klein Flottbek (Botanischer Garten) · 10-min walk
S1 to Klein Flottbek (Botanischer Garten), then about a 10-min. signposted walk, or bus 21/115 to Marxsenweg; alternatively HADAG ferry 62 to Finkenwerder, then line 64 to Teufelsbrück and a 10-min. walk through the Jenischpark.
No on-site parking at the museum.
The Jenischpark is closed to private cars; parking only on the surrounding residential streets.
Cafeteria next to the museum shop with a view of the Jenischpark (no reservations). Larger bags must be checked; storage is limited. No animals allowed.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 45 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Public guided tour on Sundays at 12:00 (about 45 min., max. 25 people, no registration, museum admission only; not on the opening day of an exhibition). Private group tours in German, English, Spanish, or German Sign Language (DGS) by appointment (plus admission). School classes: dedicated visiting hours Mon 9:00–12:00 and Tue–Fri 9:00–11:00 by arrangement. Free web-based media guide "Barlach bewegt" via QR code. |
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