Fränkische Galerie

About the museum

The Fränkische Galerie opened on July 7, 1983, as one of the first branch museums of the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum. The impetus was a 1979 program of the Bavarian State Government intended to bring state art collections to the regions as well. Together with the town of Kronach, which has owned Rosenberg Fortress since 1888, a museum was created for the art of Franconia from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance.

The gallery is housed in the Kommandantenbau (commandant's building) of the fortress, which the Baroque master builder Balthasar Neumann remodeled in the 1730s. The interior was substantially altered for museum use; the exhibition rooms are spread over three floors on roughly 1,000 square meters.

The good 200 works come mostly from the holdings of the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, supplemented by loans from, among others, the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen and the town of Kronach. The art centers of Bamberg, Nuremberg and Würzburg are represented. One large hall is devoted to Tilman Riemenschneider and his workshop, another to Lucas Cranach the Elder, who was born in Kronach.

In 2014 the presentation was comprehensively modernized and fitted with new lighting tailored to the individual works. In 2020, further Cranach paintings from the Munich collections were added, so that his work can now be followed through a broad cross-section. The visit is complemented by the exhibition "Festungen – Frankens Bollwerke" in the same complex.

Highlights

• Gallery hall devoted to Lucas Cranach the Elder, including his first Protestant teaching image
• Hall with sculptures by Tilman Riemenschneider and his workshop
• Altar wings by Hans von Kulmbach, a pupil of Dürer
• Votive painting of Pastor Paur von Pechtal (around 1460) from the Katharinenkirche in Nuremberg
• Nuremberg model of a knight's castle from the 16th century
• Rich selection of alabaster works

Permanent exhibitions

• Fränkische Galerie – Kunst des bayerischen Nordens – Around 220 paintings and sculptures from Franconia from about 1300 to the Renaissance, arranged by the art centers of Bamberg, Nuremberg and Würzburg, with dedicated halls for Riemenschneider and Cranach.

Founded

1983

Operated by

Bayerisches Nationalmuseum (Zweigmuseum) mit der Stadt Kronach

Admission & discounts

The outdoor grounds and inner courtyard of Rosenberg Fortress are freely accessible; admission is charged only for the gallery and the tours.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• 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

The gallery is accessible. People with disabilities park at the Äußerer Wallgraben parking lot behind the fortress, from which an accessible entrance leads into the complex; there are designated accessible parking spaces there.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Family ticket for two adults with all children up to age 12. From April to October, Rosenberg Fortress offers the children's tour "Küche, Duft und Heimlichkeit" on Saturdays at 13:00 through otherwise locked areas and the underground passages (ages 6 and up, accompanied, registration required, bring a flashlight).

Getting there & parking

By car, take federal highways B85, B173 and B303 toward the town center, then via Kaulangerstraße, Strauer Straße, Lucas-Cranach-Straße and Festungsstraße up to the fortress. The nearest ICE station is Lichtenfels (about 25 km).

Amenities & dining

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

Events & venue rental

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

Plan your visit