Photo: Thomas doerfer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Museum Goethehaus Stützerbach

Glassmaker's house in the Thuringian Forest where Goethe stayed thirteen times from 1776 on – with the Goethe Room and an exhibition on technical glass.

Opening hoursAdmission from €6

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About the museum

The two-story house with its slate-covered mansard roof belonged to the Gundelach family of glassmakers, who held shares in glassworks in the area; it is named after Johann Niclaus Gundelach († 1748). From 1776 on, Goethe came to Stützerbach a total of thirteen times, mainly in connection with his duties for the Ilmenau mining industry, and stayed in the Gundelach house on these visits. Duke Carl August also lodged here.

In 1962 the building opened to visitors as a Goethe memorial. It used to be one of the Goethe sites of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar; today the town of Ilmenau runs the museum together with the GoetheStadtMuseum Ilmenau and the Jagdhaus Gabelbach (hunting lodge), with which it shares uniform admission prices and a combination ticket.

On display are Goethe's original living room and study and the so-called Goethe Room, complemented by letters, drawings and writings on his geological studies in the region. The first floor is devoted to the history of technical glass in Stützerbach; demonstrations at a glassblower's workstation are available on request. The house is also the destination of the Goethewanderweg (Goethe hiking trail) leading here from Ilmenau and, together with the neighboring Goethe-Kultur-Scheune (cultural barn), serves as an event venue.

Highlights

Goethe's original living room and study
The so-called Goethe Room
Letters, drawings and writings on Goethe's geological studies
Exhibition on the history of technical glass in Stützerbach
Glassblower's workstation with demonstrations on request
End point of the Goethewanderweg (Goethe hiking trail) from Ilmenau

Permanent exhibitions

Goethe in Stützerbach – Goethe's living room and study and the Goethe Room, with letters, drawings and writings on his geological studies around Ilmenau.
Geschichte des technischen Glases in Stützerbach – Exhibition on the first floor about glassmaking in the village, complemented by a glassblower's workstation.

Founded: 1962
Operated by: Stadt Ilmenau

Admission & discounts

Adults	€6
Reduced	€3School students, university students, trainees, Bundesfreiwilligendienst (federal volunteer service) participants, people with severe disabilities, Ilmenau social pass holders
Children & teens	freefree up to age 14 · Children up to 14 free, plus one accompanying adult free per child.
Seniors	–No senior discount – retirees pay regular admission.
Visitors with disabilities	€3companion free · Reduced admission for people with severe disabilities.
Students & apprentices	€3
Groups (10+ people)	€4 per person10 or more people paying together; reduced-rate groups €2 per person.
Combination ticket for all three Goethe museums (GoetheStadtMuseum, Jagdhaus Gabelbach, Goethehaus Stützerbach)	€12
Annual pass (12 months, all three Goethe museums)	€22
With the Thüringer Wald Card	€3Free with the Thüringer Wald Card All-Inklusive
Guided tour (approx. 1.5 hours)	€40per group plus admission, max. 25 people
Costumed guided tour (approx. 1.5 hours)	€95per group plus admission, max. 25 people

Free admission: Goethe's birthday (August 28), Tag des offenen Denkmals (Heritage Open Day, 2nd Sunday in September), World Children's Day (September 20)

Uniform prices for all three Goethe museums run by the town of Ilmenau. Free admission also for members of ICOM, the Museumsbund (German Museums Association) and the friends' association.