Museum Göschenhaus – Seume-Gedenkstätte

About the museum

The Leipzig publisher Georg Joachim Göschen, who published works by Goethe, Schiller, Wieland, and Klopstock, acquired an estate in the village of Hohnstädt near Grimma in 1795. The residence served the family as a summer home and quickly became a meeting place for authors and friends; in 1801 Friedrich Schiller visited with his wife and child. From 1800, Göschen laid out a garden on the terraces above the Mulde, which is considered the only almost unchanged Neoclassical private garden in Saxony. From Grimma, Göschen's proofreader Johann Gottfried Seume set out at the end of 1801 on his walk to Syracuse.

Until 1934 the house remained in the possession of Göschen's descendants. The new owner, Renate Sturm-Francke, gradually refurnished it in the style of Göschen's era and in 1950 opened her collection to the public as a local history room, which increasingly turned to Seume. In 1967 she donated the property to the Nationale Forschungs- und Gedenkstätten der klassischen deutschen Literatur in Weimar (National Research and Memorial Sites of Classical German Literature); from 1979 the Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig (Leipzig City History Museum) looked after it as a branch. Since 1995 the Göschenhaus has belonged to the town of Grimma.

Most recently on display were, among other things, the Biedermeier room with Göschen prints, the Seume room with mementos of the poet, the fireplace room, and a small printing workshop. Since the end of September 2025 the house has been closed for a general renovation: an elevator is to open up the second floor, new rooms are to present the history of the house and the museum's founder, and the Seume collection is moving to the balcony room. The reopening is planned for 2027.

Highlights

• Germany's only publisher museum
• Neoclassical Göschen garden with friendship pavilion from 1801
• Cast of Hebe by Bertel Thorvaldsen in the garden grotto
• Seume memorial with mementos of Johann Gottfried Seume
• Fireplace room with painted ceiling for concerts and readings

Permanent exhibitions

• Göschenhaus und Seume-Gedenkstätte – Living rooms in the style of around 1800, with a Biedermeier room, Seume room, fireplace room, and small printing workshop, tell of the publisher Göschen and his proofreader Seume. The exhibition is being redesigned and expanded during the renovation.
• Göschengarten – Terraced garden of around 4,300 square meters with friendship pavilion, theater meadow, Seumeplatz, and Hebe cast after Thorvaldsen – a rare example of a Neoclassical private garden.

Founded

1950

Operated by

Große Kreisstadt Grimma

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Special event days such as Open Monument Day or the museum festival

Prices as of before the closure for renovation. Free admission with Sozialpass, Blaulichtcard, Sächsische Ehrenamtskarte, and Juleica. The Göschen garden was freely accessible during opening hours.

Accessibility

• Partially 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

As of before the renovation: grounds and museum reachable via mobile wheelchair ramps, permanent exhibition on the first floor and first garden terrace then accessible, second floor and upper garden terraces not. Tour guide system for people with hearing impairments. With the renovation the house will receive an elevator and an accessible restroom.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Before the renovation there were programs for preschool and school children, such as "Schule in alter Zeit" (school in olden times) or a potato festival, as well as holiday events with puppet theater, craft demonstrations, and crafts, and cookie baking during Advent.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

Restaurant "Zum Göschen" in the neighboring Göschensgut. After the renovation, a small museum shop at the entrance is planned.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 23 guests.

Fireplace room and garden can be rented (as of before the renovation: €40 for the first hour, each additional hour €30); during opening hours only as part of "Kultur bei Kaffee und Kuchen" for up to 23 people. Weddings, concerts, readings, and conferences also take place in the fireplace room.

Plan your visit