Mitteldeutsches Marionettentheatermuseum

About the museum

The museum traces its origins to the Kreismuseum Bad Liebenwerda (district museum), founded in 1953/54 and initially housed on Dresdner Straße. In 1994 it moved into the building at Burgplatz 2 next to the Lubwartturm, a building from the grounds of the former castle that had been rebuilt after a fire in the 18th century and later also served as a residence with a distillery.

Alongside regional history and crafts, puppetry soon became the focus: traveling marionette theaters had a long tradition in the Elbe-Elster region, and in the 1990s the museum acquired an important puppet theater collection. The Brockmüller collection was added later. Today the Elbe-Elster district runs the museum as part of its museum network under the name Mitteldeutsches Marionettentheatermuseum.

In September 2020 the redesigned permanent exhibition “Kaspers Welten” opened, conceived by Dresden theater scholar Olaf Bernstengel, who did not live to see its completion, and by Ralf Uschner. In four chapters it traces the comic figure from the medieval fool through Hanswurst and the marionette Kasper to the hand-puppet Kasper, and looks at related figures in Asian puppetry. Designed as a stage, it invites visitors to try things out for themselves.

In 2021, “Kaspertheater als Spielprinzip” (Kasper puppet theater as a principle of play) was added to Germany's national inventory of intangible cultural heritage at the request of the district and the museum. With its own puppet stage, guest performances, and the district's international puppet theater festival, the museum is also a lively performance venue.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition “Kaspers Welten” in four chapters
• Puppets of central German traveling marionette players
• Rod puppets up to 1.50 m tall from the Sicilian Opera dei Pupi
• Puppets and shadow puppets from India, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam
• Hands-on stations: marionette stage, fool's costume, silhouette portraits
• Panoramic view from the neighboring Lubwartturm

Permanent exhibitions

• Kaspers Welten – A tour through the history of the comic figure in puppetry, from the medieval fool to the Kasper of the GDR era, supplemented by figures from Asia. Many stations can be touched and played with.

Founded

1953

Operated by

Landkreis Elbe-Elster (Museumsverbund Elbe-Elster)

Admission & discounts

Eligibility for reduced and free admission is governed by the fee schedule of the Museumsverbund Elbe-Elster (as of October 1, 2022). Audio guides for children and adults are included in the admission price.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• 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

Entrance via a ramp; the exhibition rooms are served by an elevator. Assistance dogs permitted, no other animals. Detailed information at barrierefrei-brandenburg.de.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Baby changing facilities

Hands-on activities: dress up in jester costumes, try out marionettes, and create shadow silhouettes; the audio guide has a children's version. The museum's own puppet theater offers performances, including during school holidays. Strollers are not allowed in the exhibition; a baby changing room is available.

Getting there & parking

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

Amenities & dining

According to the house rules of the museum association, bags larger than A5 must be stored in a locker or the coat check.

Events & venue rental

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

Plan your visit