Harmonikamuseum Zwota
Museum in Zwota in the Vogtland “Musikwinkel” with over 1,000 harmonicas, accordions, bandoneons and electronic keyboard instruments from the region.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The harmonica industry in the Klingenthal area began in 1829, when the instrument dealer Johann Wilhelm Glier brought a mouth organ back from a journey and had it copied; from the 1850s, hand-pulled instruments followed. Companies from Klingenthal and Zwota exported mouth organs, concertinas and accordions to many countries.
The museum grew out of the Heimatstube Zwota, which Heinz Eichelberger and Hans Heinig, inspired by a village anniversary exhibition, built up and opened in 1986 in the Ludwig-Haus – the original home of the harmonica factory of the Ludwig brothers, founded in 1844. Because the half-timbered house did not provide a suitable climate for the instruments, the collection moved in 1998 to the former school on Kirchstraße, a building from 1888/89. Since 1999 the Förderverein Zungeninstrumentensammlung Zwota has looked after the building.
In 2008 a department was added for electronic and electromechanical keyboard instruments and amplifiers built in the Vogtland between the late 1950s and 1990; in 2012 the local history society opened a dialect and activity room. When Zwota was incorporated into Klingenthal, the collection passed to the town in 2013. After the roof and façade were renovated, a large mural was created on the east wall in 2024; in 2026 the museum celebrates its 40th anniversary.
Highlights
- Over 1,000 free-reed instruments from the Klingenthal area
- Concertinas from the 19th century and bandoneons by the Arnold company of Carlsfeld
- Top models from the Klingenthaler Harmonikawerke (“Weltmeister”)
- Electronic keyboard instruments from the Vogtland, including the three-manual Vermona Solist
Permanent exhibitions
- Harmonikas und Akkordeons – Mouth organs, diatonic accordions, concertinas, bandoneons and accordions, many of them from workshops and factories of the region.
- Elektronische und elektromechanische Tasteninstrumente – Organs, keyboards and amplifiers produced in the Vogtland “Musikwinkel” from the late 1950s to 1990.
- Founded
- 1986
- Operated by
- Förderverein Zungeninstrumentensammlung Zwota e. V.
Admission & discounts
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Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours for groups of 10 or more by arrangement; register by telephone during opening hours or by email. |
