Heinz Piontek Museum

Memorial in Lauingen with estate items, books, watercolors and sound recordings of the writer Heinz Piontek.

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About the museum

The Heinz Piontek Museum goes back to a civic initiative in Lauingen. The new museum room opened on November 15, 2013, the poet's birthday; since then the town has had a permanent memorial to the writer. The project is driven mainly by Anton Hirner, head of the Heinz Piontek Archive, who champions the house with great personal and financial commitment. The Geschwister Kling Foundation supported the facility.

The exhibition is housed in the so-called Museumszellen (museum cells) of the town of Lauingen, two small exhibition rooms. All the items shown come from Piontek's estate. On display are his collected editions, including all sixteen poetry volumes in first editions, some with hand copies and working copies, as well as letters, photos, biographical data and handwritten additions that make the creation of individual works traceable. Personal documents, such as his discharge certificate from prisoner-of-war captivity and his student record book from the Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Dillingen, give insight into the author's life.

Watercolors and sketches show Piontek also as a visual artist. At the end of the tour, original recordings of his voice can be heard. Part of his private library, with about 900 volumes of contemporary German poetry and translated foreign-language poems from 1945 to 2000, complements the display and conveys an impression of his literary tastes and connections. The museum is aimed at literature lovers, researchers and bibliophiles.

Highlights

All collected editions and all 16 poetry volumes in first edition
Private library with about 900 volumes of contemporary poetry
Watercolors and drawings by the poet
Original recordings of Heinz Piontek's voice
Letters, photos and certificates from the estate