Junkerhaus

About the museum

Karl Junker (1850–1912) came from Lemgo, trained as a carpenter, and then studied art in Munich, finally at the Academy of Fine Arts. After a trip to Italy of about two years, he returned to his hometown around 1881 and began, at the end of the 1880s, to design a house of his own on a plot at the edge of town.

He moved into the two-story half-timbered house on a brick base in 1891. Until his death in 1912 he worked tirelessly on its furnishings: exterior and interior walls, ceilings, furniture, and built-ins were covered with carved ornaments made of boards, strips, and slats, and several rooms and the staircase received wall and ceiling paintings. The result was a total work of art that is hard to classify and was later associated with Expressionism, Art Nouveau, and Art Brut.

Since the 1960s the city of Lemgo has looked after the house and made it accessible as a museum. After a comprehensive renovation financed by the NRW-Stiftung together with the Verein Alt Lemgo and the city, today's Junkerhaus Museum opened in September 2004. Behind the house, a new building connected by a glass corridor was built with a foyer and exhibition hall, which shows paintings, drawings, furniture, reliefs, and architectural models from Junker's estate; the garden was newly laid out.

Highlights

• Artist's house fully decorated with carvings
• Wall and ceiling paintings in the staircase and several rooms
• Exhibition hall with paintings, drawings, and furniture from Junker's estate
• Sketches from Junker's trip to Italy
• Flashlight tours in the dark season

Permanent exhibitions

• Das Junkerhaus – A tour through the home designed by Karl Junker himself, with carved walls, ceilings, furniture, and paintings.
• Künstlerischer Nachlass – The exhibition hall shows paintings, drawings, watercolors, furniture, reliefs, and architectural models by Karl Junker.

Operated by

Alte Hansestadt Lemgo

Admission & discounts

Free admission also for school classes and daycare groups from Lemgo, holders of the Lemgoer Berechtigungskarte, and members of ICOM, the German Museums Association, and the Museumsverein Lemgo.

Accessibility

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

Tours for blind and visually impaired people aged 14 and up with descriptions, tactile objects, scents, and sounds (groups of up to 5 or 10 participants, 90 minutes, inquiries at 05261 213166). Occasional telephone tours via "Bei Anruf Kultur".

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Kids’ birthday parties

Free activity booklet "Karls Traumhaus" with listening stations for children aged 6 to 12. In fall and winter, flashlight tours for the whole family; treasure hunt for children aged 5 to 10, also as a children's birthday party; workshops and holiday programs.

Getting there & parking

The Junkerhaus is on the eastern edge of town on Hamelner Straße.

Amenities & dining

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

Events & venue rental

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

Plan your visit