Kulturzentrum Ostpreußen

About the museum

After the Free State of Bavaria assumed sponsorship of the Landsmannschaft Ostpreußen in September 1978, the two jointly looked for a place where the cultural heritage of the former Prussian province could be preserved. The choice fell on the west wing of the Baroque Teutonic Order Castle in Ellingen. There the Kulturzentrum Ostpreußen was opened on September 25, 1981; its first director was Wolfgang Freyberg. Since 1994 it has been an institution of the Ostpreußische Kulturstiftung and is funded in equal parts by the federal government and the Free State of Bavaria.

The permanent exhibition sees itself as a showcase of the regional studies and cultural history of the land between the Vistula and the Memel. One focus is amber, with a cabinet of its own that shows, among other things, works from the former Königsberg State Amber Manufactory. Further stations are devoted to a Königsberg bourgeois room, historical maps, hunting weapons, the majolica from Cadinen, the history of the Salzburg exiles, and life and work in the countryside. A picture gallery presents works by East Prussian artists, including Lovis Corinth and Käthe Kollwitz. An audio tour, films, and media stations complement the visit.

Besides the museum, the center maintains a library and an archive with photographs, glass plate negatives, and personal estates. It regularly develops cabinet and special exhibitions, which are shown in Ellingen and as traveling exhibitions mainly in present-day Poland. The Kulturzentrum is directed by Gunter Dehnert.

Highlights

• Amber cabinet with works from the Königsberg Amber Manufactory
• Königsberg bourgeois room
• Cadinen majolica
• Picture gallery with works by Lovis Corinth and Käthe Kollwitz, among others
• Location in the Baroque Teutonic Order Castle in Ellingen

Permanent exhibitions

• Landeskunde und Kulturgeschichte Ostpreußens – A tour through the land between the Vistula and the Memel with the amber cabinet, Königsberg bourgeois room, maps, hunting weapons, Cadinen majolica, Salzburg exiles, rural life, and a gallery of East Prussian art.

Founded

1981

Operated by

Ostpreußische Kulturstiftung

Director

Gunter Dehnert

Admission & discounts

Free admission also for press, members of the Deutscher Museumsbund, members of East Prussian friends' associations, and holders of the Bavarian Ehrenamtskarte.

Accessibility

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

Kids & families

Under the name ArtClub there is an education format in which participants discover the museum and work creatively themselves.

Getting there & parking

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

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop at the reception desk, orders also online.

Events & venue rental

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

Plan your visit