Franziskanermuseum Villingen-Schwenningen

Current exhibitions

About the museum

Franciscan monks settled in Villingen in 1268; their monastery church was consecrated in 1292. After severe war damage in 1704, the community rebuilt the complex before the monastery was dissolved in 1797 in the course of the Josephinist reforms. The cloister, sacristy and church interior still shape the ensemble of buildings in the old town today.

The museum itself dates back to 1876, when the town, at the urging of several council members, founded a collection of antiquities; its foundation was a private collection of historical objects. It was first displayed in the Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall). With the acquisition of late medieval tapestries in 1910 and the Black Forest folk collection of Lenzkirch clock manufacturer Oskar Spiegelhalder in 1929, the holdings grew considerably, but for decades they had to be housed in changing locations.

The impetus for a new home came from the excavation of the Celtic burial mound Magdalenenberg in the 1970s. From 1978, the town converted the former monastery complex into a cultural center with a concert hall, foyer and museum, which opened in 1999. Since then, the Franziskanermuseum has presented town history from the Middle Ages to the present, the Black Forest collection and the original wooden burial chamber of the Celtic prince. In 2026 the museum celebrates its 150th anniversary.

Highlights

• Original burial chamber from the Celtic princely grave of Magdalenenberg
• Late medieval tapestries from the Villingen Poor Clares convent and a Minnetruhe (courtly love chest)
• Oskar Spiegelhalder Black Forest collection with parlors, clocks and clock-face painting
• Villingen Fasnet (carnival) with historic wooden masks
• Augmented reality game “GeheimnisGräberei,” free at the ticket desk
• Free admission to the permanent exhibitions

Permanent exhibitions

• Keltisches Fürstengrab Magdalenenberg – The original wooden burial chamber, around 2,600 years old, from the largest Hallstatt-period burial mound in Central Europe, plus jewelry, weapons and everyday objects from the secondary burials.
• Stadtgeschichte – Villingen from the Middle Ages, with tapestries, the Minnetruhe and archaeological finds, to carnival, tourism and industrial companies such as SABA and Kienzle.
• Schwarzwaldsammlung Oskar Spiegelhalder – Fully preserved folk collection with glass, furniture, straw weaving, walk-in parlors, clocks and clock-face painting.

Founded

1876

Operated by

Stadt Villingen-Schwenningen (Städtische Museen)

Director

Dr. Anita Auer

Admission & discounts

Free admission to the permanent exhibitions; only special exhibitions and guided tours are subject to a fee. The AR game GeheimnisGräberei is lent free of charge at the museum ticket desk.

Accessibility

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

According to the museum, the exhibition sections are accessible.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Kids’ birthday parties

Children's birthday parties with a guided tour and a craft or play activity on themes such as knights, the Stone Age or the Celts (approx. ages 5–12), followed by a party in the museum education room; guided tours for kindergartens and school classes. The augmented reality game GeheimnisGräberei takes kids on a tablet-based treasure hunt through the Celtic section.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in Villingen's old town on Osianderplatz.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Café im Franziskaner (open only during events and by arrangement); museum shop. The Franziskaner Kulturzentrum also houses the Villingen tourist information office and a ticket service.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Cultural and event spaces of the Franziskaner Kulturzentrum for receptions, conferences, concerts and lectures; civil wedding ceremonies in the inner courtyard, the former sacristy or the choir; celebrations with a guided tour in the Café im Franziskaner.

Plan your visit