Ernst Barlach Museen Güstrow

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The sculptor, draftsman and playwright Ernst Barlach settled in Güstrow in 1910. In 1930/31 his studio house was built to designs by Adolf Kegebein on the Heidberg near Lake Inselsee; it served as his workplace until his death in October 1938. The listed building now houses a permanent exhibition on his life and work.

The Gertrudenkapelle, a late Gothic brick building outside the old town boundary, had been converted into an "Ahnenhalle" (ancestral hall) during the Nazi era. At the instigation of Barlach's partner Marga Böhmer, it opened as a Barlach memorial on October 31, 1953 – the first museum devoted exclusively to his work. In GDR times, the Academy of Sciences looked after the Barlach sites in Güstrow.

After reunification, the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the federal government and the Kulturstiftung der Länder bought the estate from the heirs. The Ernst Barlach Stiftung was established on January 1, 1994 and took over the collection and properties. Next to the studio house, the exhibition forum was built in 1997/98 and expanded with a graphic arts cabinet in 2003 – the first new museum building in the former East German states after 1990. The chapel was renovated in 2006/07 and received a visitor pavilion in 2008/09.

With more than 300 sculptures, around 1,000 drawings, sketchbooks, manuscripts and prints, the foundation holds the most extensive Barlach collection in the world. Under the name Ernst Barlach Museen Güstrow, it presents the collection in both buildings and complements it with changing exhibitions on classical modernism and contemporary art.

Highlights

• Studio house from 1930/31 with a permanent exhibition on his life and work
• Working model of the Güstrow war memorial ("Der Schwebende" / The Hovering One)
• Gertrudenkapelle – the first Barlach museum, since 1953 – with wooden sculptures such as the "Lesender Klosterschüler" (Reading Monastery Pupil)
• Sculpture park at the chapel with works by GDR sculptors
• Exhibition forum with graphic arts cabinet and changing exhibitions

Permanent exhibitions

• Ernst Barlach – Leben und Werk (Atelierhaus) – Works in wood, bronze and plaster, prints and drawings, personal items and audio recordings at his historic workplace trace his path from his Art Nouveau beginnings to the war memorials; his ostracism during the Nazi era is also addressed.
• Ausstellung Gertrudenkapelle – Major works from the Güstrow years such as "Die gefesselte Hexe" (The Bound Witch) and "Der Zweifler" (The Doubter) in the Gothic chapel, complemented by a sculpture park with figurative GDR sculpture.

Founded

1994

Operated by

Ernst Barlach Stiftung

Director

Magdalena Schulz-Ohm

Admission & discounts

Prices for the studio house. Free admission for members of ICOM, the Deutscher Museumsbund, the Museumsverband M-V and the friends' association, among others. Group tours: one site €50 (German) or €65 (English), combined tour €75 or €90, plus admission in each case.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• 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

Threshold-free access to almost all exhibition areas, seating in the rooms; accessible parking spaces at both sites. Certified under "Reisen für Alle" (Travel for All; inspection report online).

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Workshops and holiday programs for children and families; free admission for children under 6.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop (also online).

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

The exhibition forum and the museum education building on Lake Inselsee are available for celebrations, conferences and concerts.

Plan your visit