Home of the poet Gleim on Halberstadt's Domplatz – one of Germany's oldest literary museums, with the Temple of Friendship and an Enlightenment collection.
August 15, 2026 – November 15, 2026
Marking the 300th birthday of the Berlin printmaker, the Gleimhaus shows his tiny calendar engravings, which captured everyday life, fashions, and current events of the Enlightenment with a keen eye.
Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim (1719–1803) served as cathedral secretary in Halberstadt and lived in the half-timbered house on the Domplatz, right next to the cathedral. The poet maintained a wide-ranging network of correspondence with writers, scholars, and artists of the Enlightenment and collected their portraits, letters, manuscripts, and books.
In 1862, a museum was established in the house – one of the earliest museums dedicated to a poet in Germany. Gleim's estate, with correspondence from around 500 people, is regarded as the country's first literary archive. Since 1995 it has been run by the Förderkreis Gleimhaus e. V. (friends' association), supported by the city of Halberstadt and the state of Saxony-Anhalt. The federal government lists the museum in its so-called Blaubuch (Blue Book) as a cultural site of national importance.
The revised permanent exhibition focuses on Gleim's life and the culture of friendship and letter writing in the 18th century. Its centerpiece is the “Freundschaftstempel” (Temple of Friendship) on the upper floor, a portrait gallery with likenesses of Lessing, Klopstock, Herder, Nicolai, Anna Louisa Karsch, and many other contemporaries. The museum also includes the historical library, a paper conservation workshop, and a modern extension with a foyer; special exhibitions explore art and literature of the Enlightenment.
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5Groups of 10 or more, holders of the combined ticket for the Halberstadt museums (Verbundkarte), university students, apprentices, unemployed people, people with severe disabilities |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 16 · Children and young people up to 16 free. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €5 |
| Students & apprentices | €5University students and apprentices |
| Groups (10+ people) | €5 per personSchool classes from the Harz district free (including guided tour, materials costs may apply). |
| Group tour (1–1.5 hours) | €30Tour fee plus €5 admission per person; ideal for up to 15 people |
Free admission for members of the friends' association, ICOM, DMB, the state museum associations, the Bundesverband Museumspädagogik, and VdR.
The museum is wheelchair-accessible. Interactive stations, descriptive tours, tactile models, numerous texts, and an orientation map in Braille.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 16 |
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Family room for reading, playing, listening to audio stories, and trying on 18th-century-style clothing; interactive stations for children (marked in yellow) throughout the exhibition. Children's audio tour via QR code and explorer booklet. "Museumskinder bei Gleim" (Museum Kids at Gleim) reading series for 3- to 6-year-olds with parents; family tours. Children and teens up to age 16 free.
Hoher Weg
Tram line 1 (toward Friedhof) to the Hoher Weg stop, then up the steps to the Domplatz; about a 25-minute walk from the main station (Hauptbahnhof).
Parking available
No parking at the building. Free large parking lot "Am Dom" (Unter den Weiden 11) about a 5–10 minute walk away; also paid public parking lots and the Contipark Halberstadt Zentrum parking garage. Guests with limited mobility can be dropped off right in front of the entrance.
Covered bicycle parking in front of the museum; e-bike charging station at the tourist information office on Holzmarkt (about 350 m).
Get directionsMuseum shop with publications and stationery from the museum's own restoration workshop.
Up to 100 guests.
Foyer in the new building for up to 100 people, seminar room in the historic house for 30 people; outside opening hours, equipment on request, with a guided tour if desired. Special rates for cultural institutions.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Group tours (1 to 1.5 hours, ideally up to 15 people) through the permanent and special exhibitions can be booked, with thematic focuses on request. Programs for families, school classes, and inclusive groups; regular readings and lectures. |
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