Glasmuseum Immenhausen

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The town of Immenhausen opened the Glasmuseum in 1987 in a converted building of the Süßmuth glassworks that once housed the plant’s generators. It is one of the few museums in Germany devoted entirely to glass as a material, and it is supported by the Gesellschaft der Freunde der Glaskunst Richard Süßmuth (friends’ association).

The starting point of the collection is the history of the local glassworks: in 1898 the von Buttlar family moved their business, founded in 1809, from Ziegenhagen to Immenhausen because of the rail connection. Under Hermann Lamprecht the works flourished from 1907 onward with medicine bottles and preserving jars, until it had to close at the end of the 1920s. After World War II, glass designer Richard Süßmuth, who had been expelled from Silesia, rebuilt the glassworks; his cut glass made Immenhausen internationally known. In 1970 he handed the company over to its workforce; the last furnace was shut down in 1996, and the glassworks buildings were demolished in 2023.

The permanent exhibition ranges from the beginnings of glassmaking in the Near East and the forest glassworks of northern Hesse to the design of everyday glassware since 1890 and the studio glass movement. In the basement, machines and tools from the Süßmuth glassworks explain how glass is melted, shaped, and finished. Since 2000 the museum has awarded the Immenhäuser Glaspreis for contemporary glass art in Germany; in May 2026 the state of Hesse named it “Museum of the Month.”

Highlights

• Enamel-painted Kurfürstenhumpen (Electors’ tankard) from 1597
• Glasses by Richard Süßmuth, including pieces from the AE series with radial cutting
• International studio glass collection with works by Harvey K. Littleton and Stanislav Libenský
• Reconstructed “glassworks” in the basement with machines from the Süßmuth glassworks
• Competition exhibition for the Immenhäuser Glaspreis

Permanent exhibitions

• Glasgeschichte und Glashütte Immenhausen – From the beginnings of glassmaking to the forest glassworks of northern Hesse, plus the history of the Immenhausen glassworks from the Buttlars through Lamprecht to Süßmuth, complemented by machines and tools in the basement.
• Gebrauchsglas von 1890 bis heute – Goblets, vases, and bowls show how glass design, production techniques, and fashions have changed since Art Nouveau, with designs by Peter Behrens and Wilhelm Wagenfeld, among others.
• Studioglaskunst – International collection of one-of-a-kind pieces since the 1960s, when small melting furnaces enabled artists to work independently of glassworks.

Founded

1987

Operated by

Stadt Immenhausen

Director

Ellen Kabelitz

Admission & discounts

Short introductions to the collection and information on the special exhibitions are free.

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 town of Immenhausen, the museum is equipped for people with disabilities.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

Children’s birthday parties (approx. 2–2.5 hours) with a child-friendly tour, museum rally, short film on glassmaking, painting your own glass, and experiments with glass instruments; €10 per child, minimum €80, admission and materials included. Museum festivals such as the “Heißer Herbst” with a glassblowing demonstration.

Getting there & parking

By car via the A7 or the A44 (exit Warburg, then via the B7 and Calden).

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Exhibition catalogs and the publication series “Glas” and “Gegensätze” are available at the museum.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 80 guests.

The large exhibition hall can be rented for private celebrations such as birthdays, anniversaries, or confirmations (up to about 80 people). Civil weddings through the Standesamt (registry office) Grebenstein-Immenhausen.

Plan your visit