Kunstmuseum Reutlingen

About the museum

The foundation of the municipal art collection was laid in 1954 with a first purchase of paintings and the donation of the Ernst Ziegler collection of drawings, prints and paintings from the Renaissance to Romanticism. From 1958 the city acquired woodcuts by HAP Grieshaber, and in 1980 an extensive body of the artist's work. In the 1980s, woodcuts and relief printing from the late 19th century to the present moved to the centre of the collection.

The Städtisches Kunstmuseum Spendhaus opened on 15 October 1989. The six-storey half-timbered building had been erected in 1518 as a granary for the municipal charity office. In 1992 the Städtische Galerie was added as an annex in the former Wandel metal cloth and machine factory on Eberhardstraße. Donations such as the Peter Kemna woodcut collection (2004) expanded the holdings.

In 2017 the city took over the art collection of the Stiftung für konkrete Kunst and works from the estate of Manfred Wandel. Since then the museum has been called Kunstmuseum Reutlingen and is divided into the sections Spendhaus, konkret and Galerie; the new section for constructive, concrete and conceptual art is housed in the Wandel-Hallen and grew by around 600 further works in 2022.

The Spendhaus presents collection displays on woodcuts as well as exhibitions by winners of the Jerg Ratgeb Prize; the gallery on the lower level of the Wandel-Hallen shows contemporary, often site-specific works. Since 2021 the “Baumhaus” in the Spendhaus has offered a free space for education and relaxation.

Highlights

• Collection of woodcuts and relief prints from the 19th century to today
• Groups of works by HAP Grieshaber and Wilhelm Laage
• Collection of concrete art in the Wandel-Hallen
• Half-timbered granary Spendhaus of 1518
• Print workshop with Grieshaber's toggle press
• Baumhaus – Lounge & Art Space (freely accessible)

Founded

1989

Operated by

Stadt Reutlingen

Director

Stephan Rößler

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission on Thursdays

Combined ticket for the Spendhaus and the Wandel-Hallen. Admission is also free for people on their birthday, recipients of unemployment benefit (ALG I, ALG II) and social assistance, members of the Freundeskreis and Kunstverein, ICOM and museum associations, and with AlbCard or MuseumsPass. The Baumhaus in the Spendhaus is free to enter.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• 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

Spendhaus: ramp to the automatically opening entrance, lift to all visitor floors, accessible toilet on the 2nd floor. Wandel-Hallen: level entrance via the car park access road (door does not open automatically, doorbell), lift and accessible toilet on the lower level; the education studio is not reachable by lift. The lift in the Wandel-Hallen is currently out of order, so the exhibitions there are temporarily not accessible. Seating is limited.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Kids’ birthday parties

Regular children's programmes such as “Die kleinen kleckse”, “Hands on!” (ages 7 and up) and the art lab in the Wandel-Hallen (ages 6 and up), plus holiday programmes and children's birthday parties. In the vaulted cellar of the Spendhaus, visitors print on Grieshaber's printing press; the Baumhaus invites children to try things out. Birthday children get free admission.

Getting there & parking

The Spendhaus and the Wandel-Hallen are about a 6-minute walk apart. By car from Stuttgart via the B27 and B464, from Tübingen via the B28, from Ulm via the A8 and B28.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit