Handwerkerhaus Torgau
Tiny half-timbered house from the early 17th century in Torgau that tells of the cramped living conditions of the town's poorest residents – part of the Museum Trail.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Behind Torgau's town ramparts, from the early 16th century onwards, as the residence town grew rapidly, numerous small houses sprang up on split-off parts of the large plots. This is where the poorer citizens lived, away from the stately houses on the main streets and plagued by the smells of the rampart moats. The small craftsman's house on the former Beckerwall dates from the beginning of the 17th century and has a half-timbered upper floor that is unique in today's townscape.
Over generations, in the one room on each of the ground and upper floors, coopers and chimney sweeps lived, later night watchmen and beer carters, and finally working-class and domestic servant families; in the end the house remained in the same family's ownership for 167 years. It was inhabited until 1993.
Afterwards it was threatened with decay until a dedicated association rescued the building between 2006 and 2010 and largely restored it to its original condition. Today it belongs to the Torgau Museum Trail of the Museum of Town and Cultural History. Creaking stairs, crooked walls, a kitchen with a hearth, a wash house of 1919 and surprisingly well-preserved wall paintings bring the living culture of the lower classes to life.
Highlights
- Rare testimony to the living culture of Torgau's poorer citizens
- Half-timbered upper floor, unique in Torgau's townscape
- Original wall paintings in the stairwell and living rooms
- Courtyard with stable and wash house of 1919
- Comparative tour with the Bürgermeister-Ringenhain-Haus
Permanent exhibition
- Beengtes Wohnen in schrägen Wänden – The original rooms of the small house, with kitchen, living rooms, attic room, courtyard and wash house, show how craftsmen's and workers' families lived in very confined space over the centuries.
- Operated by
- Stadt- und Kulturgeschichtliches Museum Torgau
- Director
- Cornelia König
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2Children aged 5 to 14, pupils, students, people with severe disabilities and federal volunteer service participants |
| Children & teens | €2free up to age 4 · Children aged 5 to 14 pay the reduced price. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €2 |
| Students & apprentices | €2 |
| Families | €7.502 adults with 1–2 children aged 5 to 14; each additional child €1. |
| Combined ticket Handwerkerhaus + Bürgermeister-Ringenhain-Haus | €6Reduced €4.50, family €15.50. |
| "Eine Handvoll Museen" (5 of the 7 houses on the Museum Trail) | €15Reduced €10.50, family €38. |
Specialist tours for 7 to 30 people: €55 (up to 45 min.), €70 (up to 60 min.) or €105 (up to 90 min.) plus reduced admission. School classes: €1 admission plus €2 guided tour fee per pupil.
Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
By public transit
Rail connection Leipzig–Torgau–Cottbus/Hoyerswerda (S4 or RE10) to Torgau station.
By car
Car parks P1 (Straße der Jugend/An der Turnhalle), P2 (Bastion/Straße der Jugend) and P4 (Anleger Pestalozziweg).
By car via the B87, B182 or B183.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Tours "Beengtes Wohnen in schrägen Wänden" (Cramped Living Between Slanted Walls) and "Reiches und armes Wohnen dicht an dicht" (Rich and Poor Living Side by Side; together with the Bürgermeister-Ringenhain-Haus), each approx. 60 min., on request. |
