Photo: Frank Vincentz · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Hermann-Hesse-Museum

Museum on the life and work of Hermann Hesse in Haus Schüz on the market square of his birthplace Calw – closed until 2027 for renovation.

Temporarily closed

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Temporarily closed (expected until 2027). Closed due to renovation, conversion and the redesign of the permanent exhibition; the reopening is announced for 2027. In the meantime, the town is showing a Hesse presentation in the Palais Vischer as well as an exhibition in the front building of the Gerbereimuseum.

About the museum

A first Hesse memorial was set up in 1964 by the Calw town archivist Walter Staudenmeyer, supported with material from the Schiller-Nationalmuseum in Marbach. This gave the writer, born in Calw in 1877, a permanent place of remembrance in his hometown.

The present museum has existed since March 1990 in Haus Schüz, a town palace at Marktplatz 30. The permanent exhibition traced Hesse's life with manuscripts, first editions, photographs and documents; a further floor and a lecture hall were available for special exhibitions and events.

The building has been closed since 2020. During the extensive renovation, additional structural damage came to light, which prolonged the conversion. A new permanent exhibition is being created in parallel; the reopening is announced for 2027, the year of Hesse's 150th birthday.

During the closure, the town of Calw is showing a Hesse presentation in the Palais Vischer and an exhibition on Hesse's childhood in the front building of the Gerbereimuseum (tannery museum).