Museum in Minden's Defensionskaserne on the cultural and everyday history of Prussia, with a new permanent exhibition since September 2026.
July 5, 2025 – December 31, 2026
Special exhibition that tells of Prussia's relations with its neighbors in war and peace through music from Beethoven to the present, with listening stations, record crates and a sound workshop.
The museum is housed in the Neoclassical Defensionskaserne (defensive barracks) on Simeonsplatz, built in 1829 as part of the Prussian fortress of Minden. The building was both a fortification protecting the Weser crossing and quarters for around 400 soldiers; the military suburb it belonged to once took up more than a third of the city's area.
After conversion work beginning in 1995, the Westphalian site of the Preußen-Museum Nordrhein-Westfalen opened here in 1999; the second site in Wesel is today the LVR-Niederrheinmuseum. Both museums were run by a foundation made up of the state, the regional authorities (Landschaftsverbände), the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz, and the participating cities and districts. In Minden, the focus was on Prussia's history in Westphalia and the role of the garrison town. After the foundation ran into financial difficulties, the Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe took over the museum on January 1, 2016.
Since 2019 the historian Sylvia Necker has directed the museum. Since then it has put cultural and everyday history, the history of migration and colonialism, and the role of women in the foreground, aiming to challenge clichés about Prussia. Since 2023, an exhibition has told the story of the building and the neighborhood. After delays caused by the pandemic and the construction boom, the new permanent exhibition “Potzblitz Preußen!” opened in September 2026 with 17 themed rooms, each accompanied by a historical figure. The museum team also runs the visitor center at the Kaiser Wilhelm Monument at Porta Westfalica and organizes the annual cultural festival “Platz da!”
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3Students up to age 30, apprentices, volunteer service participants, people with a disability rating (GdB) of 50% or more, recipients of benefits under SGB II and XII (German social welfare codes) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people up to 17 are free; students in the museum education program are free. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €3companion free · With a disability rating (GdB) of 50% or more. |
| Students & apprentices | €3Up to age 30. |
| Groups (16+ people) | €5 per person |
| LWL-MuseumsCard (annual pass for LWL and LVR museums) | €50Reduced €15; Ich&Du (You and Me) pass for two adults €70. |
Free admission with the LWL or LVR MuseumsCard. According to the FAQ, parts of the museum are accessible free of charge.
Accessible entrance at the back during the construction work; elevator, accessible restrooms and baby changing facilities on the first floor, two accessible parking spaces behind the building. The permanent exhibition offers videos in German Sign Language, texts in Easy Language and audio descriptions; tours in German Sign Language (DGS) and Easy Language as well as programs for blind visitors can be booked.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
Children's program "PMM for Kids" with children's tours (30 minutes), workshops, and holiday activities; museum quiz and Simeonsplatz rally free at the ticket desk, family tour in the media guide. Children's birthday parties for ages 5–10 (max. 10 children). Family days, e.g., on International Museum Day. Baby changing area on the first floor.
Simeonsplatz
From Minden (Westf) station, take bus 14 (approx. 10 min.) or 15 (approx. 16 min.) to "Simeonsplatz"; alternatively, lines 6, 10, 509, 605, or 2004 to the Minden central bus station and about a 12-minute (900 m) walk.
Free parking
Free car and bicycle parking at and behind the museum (ring the bell at the barrier); tour buses by registration directly in front of the building.
Because of construction work, the entrance is currently at the back of the museum by the parking lot.
Get directionsNo café or restaurant in the building; snacks and non-alcoholic drinks you bring yourself may be consumed in the coat check area; restaurants in the city center (5–10 minutes on foot).
Up to 280 guests.
Ständersaal (608 m², up to 280 people, with projectors, sound system and bar), Menzelraum (130 m², up to 89 people), Friederikenraum (59 m², approx. 20 people) and Sanssouci (approx. 20 m², only together with another room). Civil wedding ceremonies in the wedding room for up to 30 guests; dates via the Minden registry office.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Exhibition texts in German and English. Tours for adults approx. 60 minutes, city walks approx. 90 minutes, children's tours 30 minutes, workshops 60–120 minutes; book through the visitor office (0571 83728-18, besucherbuero-pmm@lwl.org). Dogs are not allowed in the exhibitions. |
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