Johanniterkirche

About the museum

The church goes back to a Romanesque building of the 12th century that was extended in the Gothic style in the 14th century. It is named after the Order of St. John (Knights Hospitaller), which ran a hospice for the sick next to the church. After the Reformation the building was used for Protestant worship from 1539 to 1812; it was then secularized and passed from the Kingdom of Württemberg to the town in 1816.

Stripped of its furnishings – the pulpit and organ went to the Marienkirche in Rieden – the church interior was then put to other uses: first as a storehouse, from 1846 as the town's first gymnasium and from 1950 as a cultural hall. In 2004 the Würth Group acquired the building. Following plans by the architect Erich Fritz, it was extensively renovated and given a glass extension; in November 2008 it opened as a museum of late medieval and early modern art.

The core of the presentation is the former painting collection of the Princes of Fürstenberg from Donaueschingen, which Carmen and Reinhold Würth acquired in 2003 to keep it intact in the region. It documents the art of southwestern Germany, the Lake Constance region and northern Switzerland from the late Middle Ages to the early modern period. Since January 2012 the Madonna of the Basel mayor Jakob Meyer zum Hasen by Hans Holbein the Younger, the collection's best-known work, has also been on display here. The museum complements the Kunsthalle Würth, just a few minutes' walk away, which shows modern and contemporary art.

Highlights

• Madonna of Mayor Jakob Meyer zum Hasen by Hans Holbein the Younger
• “Christus segnet die Kinder” (Christ Blessing the Children) by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1546)
• Falkenstein Altarpiece by the Master of Meßkirch
• Sculptures by Tilman Riemenschneider and Daniel Mauch
• Romanesque-Gothic church interior with a glass extension

Permanent exhibitions

• Alte Meister in der Sammlung Würth – Painting and sculpture from southwestern Germany, the Lake Constance region and northern Switzerland from the late Middle Ages to the early modern period, with the Holbein Madonna as its centerpiece and works by Cranach, Riemenschneider and the Master of Meßkirch.

Founded

2008

Operated by

Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG (Sammlung Würth)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Accessible entrance according to the website. Medical assistance dogs allowed, other animals not. Guided tours for people with dementia and their companions.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly

Public family tours; children's audio guide, puzzle booklet "Würtholino" (from age 6), and a free family box with an interactive tour at the information desk. Strollers allowed as long as no bags or jackets are hanging on them. Tours for private children's and youth groups (45 min.) can be booked.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Art shop with catalogs, art books, postcards, and design items. Bulky items, umbrellas, and wet clothing are not allowed in the exhibition space.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit