Linden-Museum

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The museum's roots lie in the Württembergischer Verein für Handelsgeographie (Württemberg Association for Commercial Geography), founded in 1882, which from 1884 built up a commercial geography museum with sample goods from overseas. Under the chairmanship of Karl Graf von Linden, the collection was transformed into an ethnological museum from 1889 onward; by his death in 1910, it had grown, aided by the colonial system, to more than 60,000 objects.

A dedicated building was erected on Hegelplatz and inaugurated as the Linden-Museum on Linden's birthday in 1911. Its first directors were Augustin Krämer and Theodor Koch-Grünberg. During World War II many holdings were moved to safety; in 1944 the building burned down to the basement and was rebuilt by 1949.

After the war, the city of Stuttgart initially covered the costs, later shared with the state, and in 1973 the museum became a state museum under joint sponsorship. In the mid-1980s, redesigned permanent exhibitions opened with walk-through installations such as the Japanese teahouse and an Afghan bazaar lane.

Since 2010 the museum has been directed by Inés de Castro; it engages intensively with its colonial history, provenance research and restitution – for example of the Benin Bronzes. The Africa (2019), Oceania (2022) and East Asia (2024) sections have been redesigned, and a new building is planned for the future.

Highlights

• Reconstructed bazaar lane from Tashqurghan (Afghanistan)
• Replica of a Japanese teahouse
• Carved house from Aotearoa New Zealand
• Chinese ritual bronzes and ceramics spanning 6,000 years
• Presentation on the restitution of the Benin Bronzes
• Free admission up to age 18 and on Saturdays 10:00–12:00

Permanent exhibitions

• Ozeanien – Kontinent der Inseln – More than 250 objects, from a model boat to a carved house from Aotearoa New Zealand, show connections across the Pacific and address the colonial era.
• Wo ist Afrika? – A critical look at the Africa collections, how they were assembled in the colonial era, and the continent's cultural entanglements up to the present.
• Ostasien – Presentation redesigned in 2024 with Chinese ritual bronzes, ceramics, lacquerware and painting from China, Japan and Korea, as well as a replica Japanese teahouse.

Founded

1911

Operated by

Land Baden-Württemberg und Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart

Director

Inés de Castro

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission for everyone every Saturday from 10:00 to 12:00

Admission to the permanent exhibitions incl. "Was ist deine Superkraft?" and media guide (German/English/children's version). Free admission with, among others, the Museums-PASS-Musées, StuttCard, Landesfamilienpass, BonusCard+Kultur and ICOM card, for refugees, and for daycare groups and school classes up to age 18. GEOcard: 2 tickets for the price of one.

Accessibility

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

Accessible entrance on Herdweg (intercom or register by phone), where accessible parking spaces are also located. Loaner wheelchair and buggy at the information desk, folding chairs in the exhibitions, induction loops for guided tours. "Fühlbar hören" (tactile listening) program in the Oceania exhibition for blind and visually impaired people and people with learning difficulties; inclusive tours with tactile objects can be booked.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

Family tours, workshops and holiday programs for children aged 4 and up according to the events calendar. Free: children's media guide and research assignments with "Tri" (ages 8–12) at the ticket desk. Children's birthday parties of 90, 120 or 150 minutes can be booked. Children's buggies can be borrowed at the information desk.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop

Restaurant Hegel Eins (Tue–Sun 12:00–15:00, evenings except Sundays from 18:30) with coffee and cake, also available for private parties. Museum shop and online shop.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Up to 270 guests.

Event hall for up to 270 people with modern equipment for lectures, symposia, training courses and cultural events; rental fees available as a PDF on the website. The restaurant Hegel Eins can be booked separately for private parties.

Plan your visit