Johann-Friedrich-Danneil-Museum
Regional museum of the western Altmark in the Salzwedel Propstei – with the Salzwedel Madonna, Cranach altar, and the history of Baumkuchen.
About the museum
The museum's roots go back to 1836: that year a history society was founded in Salzwedel with the involvement of the grammar school director Johann Friedrich Danneil, which built up a broad collection of cultural history. Danneil made a name for himself above all as an archaeologist – he is considered a co-founder of the division of prehistory into the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages and documented the megalithic tombs of the Altmark.
The collection moved several times, from the town hall via a side chapel of the Marienkirche to the district court. After the town acquired the former Propstei (provost's house) next to the Marienkirche from the von der Schulenburg family in 1928, the Kreisheimatmuseum (district local history museum) opened there in 1932 under the name of its founding father. The half-timbered building with a striking stair tower dates from 1578 and is itself one of the most impressive exhibits.
In the GDR period the museum was run by full-time staff; archaeology, church art, and town history formed the focus, and the Diesdorf open-air museum was attached for a time. Since 1998 the museum has belonged to the association of museums of the Altmarkkreis Salzwedel. From 2008 the permanent exhibition was fundamentally redesigned.
Today 16 exhibition areas lead from prehistory and early history through the Hanseatic period, the Reformation, and noble culture into the 20th century. Among the best-known pieces are the Romanesque-Gothic Salzwedel Madonna and the Weinbergaltar from the Cranach workshop. Very nearby, in the birthplace of Jenny Marx, a small exhibition commemorates the wife of Karl Marx.
Highlights
- Salzwedel Madonna – seated figure from the period between Romanesque and Gothic
- Weinbergaltar (Vineyard Altar) by Lucas Cranach the Younger (1582)
- Archaeological collection going back to Johann Friedrich Danneil
- Renaissance half-timbered building of the former Propstei with stair tower
- History of the Salzwedel Baumkuchen
- Memorial site for Jenny Marx in her birthplace
Permanent exhibitions
- Dauerausstellung zur Geschichte der westlichen Altmark – Sixteen areas span from archaeological finds of prehistory and early history through the Hanseatic period, church art, and noble culture to crafts, Baumkuchen, and the 20th century.
- Erinnerungsort Jenny Marx – Two rooms in the birthplace of Jenny von Westphalen illuminate her life from Salzwedel to exile in London.
- Operated by
- Altmarkkreis Salzwedel (Museen des Altmarkkreises Salzwedel)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5School students, trainees, retirees, unemployed people, recipients of basic income support, asylum seekers, and people with severe disabilities (from 50% degree of disability) with proof |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people under 18 years have free admission. |
| Seniors | €5Reduction for retirees |
| Visitors with disabilities | €5Reduction from a 50% degree of disability |
| Students & apprentices | €5Reduced for school students and trainees; university students are not specifically named in the price list. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €5 per personper person |
| Families | –No family ticket; children and young people under 18 years free. |
| Memorial site Jenny Marx (coin-operated door opener) | €1per opening |
Bookable tours and projects €3 per person (minimum €30), holiday workshop €3 per person; material costs may be passed on. Different prices may apply for special events such as concerts or lectures. Tickets can be reserved in advance via a form on the website.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Historic building with a staircase.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
Discovery hours, workshop projects from the Stone Age to contemporary history, and holiday workshops (€3 per person). Children and young people under 18 years have free admission.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Salzwedel station on the Stendal–Uelzen regional rail line
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
Only a few parking options at the museum; the parking guidance system leads to several parking lots in the city center.
The museum is in the old town next to the Marienkirche, directly on the town wall. By car via the federal roads B 71 or B 248.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
- Restaurant: not available
No café; groups can use the museum education workroom for breaks or have a picnic in the courtyard or park in good weather.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography and filming for private purposes permitted, without flash. |
| Good to know | Themed tours, discovery hours, and workshop projects for groups and school classes (grades 1–4 and 5–10) by registration; individual activity days on request. Please do not touch exhibits and display cases. |
