Ludwig-Roselius-Museum

About the museum

The Roselius-Haus is considered the oldest building on Böttcherstraße: its foundations probably date back to the 14th century, and the present Renaissance-style building was erected in 1588. The coffee merchant Ludwig Roselius (1874–1943), founder of Kaffee HAG, acquired the house, had it remodeled with a stepped gable as an idealized old Bremen town house, and made his collection accessible to the public there in 1928.

From 1902, Roselius developed Böttcherstraße into a Gesamtkunstwerk (total work of art), which he explicitly also intended as a political statement; nevertheless, the street came under criticism during the Nazi era. The house was damaged in World War II and later faithfully reconstructed; the collection, which had been moved to safety, survived.

The rooms are furnished as an ensemble of upscale bourgeois domestic culture: in the hall, the Cranach Room, the skylight hall, the dining room, the Gothic Room, and the staircase hall, paintings, sculptures, furniture, carpets, and decorative arts from the 14th to the 18th century come together. Among the best-known works are the portraits of Martin Luther and Katharina von Bora by Lucas Cranach the Elder from 1529. Since 1987, the silver treasure of the Compagnie der Schwarzen Häupter (Brotherhood of Blackheads) from Riga has also been on display as a long-term loan.

In 1992 the state of Bremen and the federal government acquired the Roselius family's art collection. Since 2019, Museen Böttcherstraße Stiftungs-GmbH has run the house together with the directly connected Paula Modersohn-Becker Museum; one ticket is valid for both museums. Since 2013, photographs by Esther Haase in the staircase hall have provided a contemporary counterpoint to the Old Masters.

Highlights

• Portraits of Martin Luther and Katharina von Bora (Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1529)
• Silver treasure of the Compagnie der Schwarzen Häupter from Riga
• Renaissance town house from 1588 with historic room ensembles
• Medieval panel painting, including works by Conrad von Soest
• Staircase hall with Baroque paintings and photographs by Esther Haase

Permanent exhibitions

• Sammlung Ludwig Roselius: Kunst und Kunsthandwerk vom Mittelalter bis zum Barock – Historically furnished rooms with panel paintings, Cranach portraits, Gothic sculptures, furniture, and decorative arts.
• Silberschatz der Compagnie der Schwarzen Häupter – Gold and silversmith works from Riga, Augsburg, and Lübeck from the 16th to the 20th century, including a reliquary of St. George from 1507.
• Esther Haase im Treppensaal – Fashion photographs taken in the museum and a film enter into dialogue with the hall's Baroque paintings.

Founded

1928

Operated by

Museen Böttcherstraße Stiftungs-GmbH

Director

Dr. Frank Schmidt

Admission & discounts

One ticket is valid for both Museen Böttcherstraße (Ludwig Roselius Museum and Paula Modersohn-Becker Museum). Free admission for refugees. With a full-price ticket from one of the seven participating Bremen museums, reduced admission on the same and the following day; discounts with the Weser-Kurier AboCard (€1) and the artCard.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

The Museen Böttcherstraße have no step-free entrance and no elevator (listed buildings); an accessible conversion is planned. Guided tours in Easy Language (Leichte Sprache) and sign language, as well as other inclusive offerings, through the Museen Böttcherstraße by appointment.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Kids’ birthday parties

Children's studio of the Museen Böttcherstraße for ages 6–10 on the last Friday of every month (except during school holidays and on public holidays; registration two days in advance), children's audio tours via the audio guide, and a free children's quiz for ages 8–12 at the Ludwig Roselius Museum. Children's birthday parties (2 hours, up to 12 children) with a tour and a creative session. The stairs cannot be used with strollers, and there is no elevator.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Shared museum shop of the Museen Böttcherstraße.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Receptions in the staircase hall of the Ludwig Roselius Museum or in the Paula Modersohn-Becker Museum; prices on request.

Plan your visit