Glas/Werke/Langen

About the museum

For more than 25 years the town of Langen has been building up a collection of contemporary stained glass which, through donations and purchases, has grown to around 100 windows, autonomous glass panels and designs. At its centre is the work of Johannes Schreiter, born in 1930 in Buchholz in the Ore Mountains, who settled in Langen in the 1960s, taught as a professor at Frankfurt’s Städelschule from 1963 and is an honorary citizen of the town. With his windows for churches, synagogues and public buildings, including Ulm Minster and the cathedrals of Mainz and Augsburg, he is regarded as one of the most important glass artists of his generation.

In 2000 Schreiter and his wife Edith Schreiter-Diedrichs established a charitable foundation with a large part of their private assets. It is held in trust by the town of Langen and is dedicated to caring for and communicating his work and to research into stained glass after 1945. The foundation also supported the new presentation of the collection.

Following the renovation of the Neue Stadthalle Langen, which reopened in November 2009, the town has shown the collection in a dedicated exhibition area in the basement since 2010. On display are autonomous glass panels and cabinet panes from all of Schreiter’s creative periods, alternative window designs for Frankfurt and Limburg cathedrals, as well as designs, drawings and collages. Further glass works, including the so-called Biology Window from Schreiter’s cycle for Heidelberg’s Church of the Holy Spirit and pieces by Brian Clarke, Lukas Derow and Klaus Zimmer, are integrated into the glass architecture of the hall.

Highlights

• Around 100 works of contemporary stained glass owned by the town of Langen
• Glass panels from all of Johannes Schreiter’s creative periods
• Biology Window from the Heidelberg window cycle
• Alternative window designs for Frankfurt and Limburg cathedrals
• Glass works by Brian Clarke, Lukas Derow and Klaus Zimmer in the foyers
• Expert guided tours of the collection

Permanent exhibitions

• Glas/Werke Johannes Schreiter – Autonomous glass panels, cabinet panes and architectural windows from all creative periods, including alternative window designs for the Election Chapel of Frankfurt Cathedral and for Limburg Cathedral, complemented by designs, drawings and collages.
• Glasmalerei in der Neuen Stadthalle – Works integrated into the building’s glass architecture, including Schreiter’s Biology Window from the Heidelberg cycle and pieces by Brian Clarke, Lukas Derow and Klaus Zimmer in the foyers.

Founded

2010

Operated by

Stadt Langen (Hessen)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission according to the town of Langen’s leaflet.

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 portal of the Hessian Museums Association, suitable for wheelchair users and people with limited mobility; no further details published.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The exhibition area is in the basement of the Neue Stadthalle Langen.

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant

The Neue Stadthalle also houses a restaurant, the municipal library and an indoor swimming pool.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Weddings / ceremonies

On selected dates the Langen registry office holds weddings in the museum; in addition to the marriage fees, a room hire charge of €100 applies.

Plan your visit