Manufaktur der Träume

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The impetus came from collector Erika Pohl-Ströher (1919–2016), granddaughter of the founders of Wella, whose family came from the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge) and the Vogtland. Starting from a few rescued pieces of her grandmother's Christmas collection, she built up one of the most extensive private collections of Ore Mountains folk art over decades. After a museum project in Freiberg fell through, she decided in 2006 to give the collection to the city of Annaberg-Buchholz on permanent loan, and she also helped fund the project.

For this purpose, the city acquired the vacant building of the former “Café Central” between the Kulturhaus Erzhammer and the Adam-Ries-Museum and had it converted into a modern exhibition building to plans by the Berlin architect Götz Bellmann. The Manufaktur der Träume (Manufactory of Dreams) opened on October 29, 2010; the entrance is on Buchholzer Straße, which is also where the tourist information office is located.

Around 1,500 objects from the 17th century to the present are on display, most dating from between 1890 and 1930: Christmas mountains and pyramids, candle-holding angels and miners, nativity scenes, nutcrackers, toys made of wood and composition material, dollhouses and mining models. The presentation deliberately also targets families and children, complemented by special exhibitions on folk art and regional history.

Since January 2026 the permanent exhibition has been redesigned as part of a German-Czech Interreg project with the partner city of Chomutov. In the future it is set to be multimedia and multilingual and will also cover cultural exchange across the Ore Mountains ridge, mining and World Heritage; a visitor center for the UNESCO World Heritage Site Montanregion Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří (Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region) is also being created on the first floor.

Highlights

• Pohl-Ströher collection with around 1,500 objects of Ore Mountains folk art
• Mechanical Christmas and local landscape displays, pyramids and candle figures
• Historic toys, dollhouses and mining models
• Future UNESCO World Heritage visitor center on the first floor

Permanent exhibitions

• Die Ströhersche Sammlung erzgebirgischer Volkskunst – Permanent exhibition on the folk art, toymaking and Christmas culture of the Ore Mountains; being reworked in 2026 and expected to reopen in a new multimedia form at the end of November 2026.

Founded

2010

Operated by

Große Kreisstadt Annaberg-Buchholz (Städtische Museen)

Admission & discounts

Prices apply to the special exhibition “Schätze aus der Sammlung Pohl-Ströher” during the renovation (individual visitors €5 / reduced €3.50). No prices have yet been published for the period after the reopening; the “Traumabend im Museum” (Dream Evening at the Museum) offer has so far listed €7 (reduced €4; groups of 10 or more €5.50/€3.50).

Accessibility

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

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The museum sees itself as a family and experience museum. In the holiday program, experience tours for children aged 4 to 9, during which old toys may be touched and tried out.

Getting there & parking

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

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Ticket desk and souvenir sales in the tourist information office in the same building; roof terrace for receptions.

Events & venue rental

As far as we know, the museum does not rent out spaces for external events.

No room rental listed; instead, exclusive evening tours “Traumabend im Museum” for company and family celebrations (up to 40 people, optional champagne reception and chocolates), tour flat fee from €50.

Plan your visit