Historical museum in Köthen Palace with the Bach Memorial, insights into court culture, and exhibitions on the Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft (Fruitbearing Society) and Hahnemann.
August 27, 2026 – January 31, 2027
A look back at 25 years of work by Köthen material designer and bagpipe maker Steffen Fischer: suitcase stages, busy picture scenes, figures, comic drawings, castle views and self-built musical instruments.
The Historisches Museum Köthen is housed in the Ludwigsbau of Köthen Palace. It presents the history of the town and the court culture of the Principality of Anhalt-Köthen.
On the second floor of the Ludwigsbau is the Bach Memorial. Johann Sebastian Bach served as court Kapellmeister in Köthen from 1717 to 1723 and spent part of his mid-career here. Several rooms let visitors experience court life in his time. On the first floor, further permanent exhibitions cover, among other things, the Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft and the homeopath Samuel Hahnemann.
The tour also includes the Spiegelsaal (Mirror Hall), which master builder Gottfried Bandhauer remodeled in 1822 as a former throne room and which has been open to the public again since its multi-year restoration in 2018, as well as the palace chapel, which was reclaimed as a galleried church in 1988–1991. The palace also houses further museums, including the Naumann-Museum and the Neue Musicalien-Kammer, which can be visited with the joint Schlosskarte.
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5 |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people up to age 18 enter free. |
| Groups | €5 per personPrice per person |
Free admission: Every first Friday of the month
The Schlosskarte is valid for all museums in the palace. The WelterbeCard gives free admission once.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Köthen is served by regional and InterCity routes; it is about a 15-minute walk from the main station to the palace via Friedrichstraße.
The palace is in the center of town at Schlossplatz 4; Köthen can be reached via the A9 and A14 motorways.
Get directionsSchlossKaffee in the outer palace courtyard, Wednesday to Sunday 14:00–18:00, with light meals, coffee, cake and ice cream.
Spaces available for rent include the Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Saal, other halls, foyers and the Marstall; weddings take place in the palace chapel.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes |
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| Good to know | Among other options, there is a guided tour of the Bach Memorial. Group tours are possible by arrangement outside opening hours. |
