Mittelmosel-Museum

About the museum

The foundation was laid by the local historian Dr. Ernst Willen Spies, who began collecting evidence of local history at an early stage. In 1928, using loans from the local population, he set up a first exhibition in the hall of the Traben town hall, which served as a provisional museum for about ten years. In 1937, the Kommandantenhaus on the Traben bank of the Moselle was added and developed into the district local history museum; however, the outbreak of war in 1939 prevented its opening. After the war, Spies had the damage repaired; in 1948 the collection could be seen again on a provisional basis, and regular operation began in 1951.

From 1955, the museum showed its first holdings in the attic of the Baroque Villa Böcking in the Trarbach district. The patrician house was built around 1750 in the Trier Baroque style for the merchant and state treasurer Johann Adolf Böcking, survived the town fire of 1857, and remained in the family's possession for six generations. Its guests included Goethe in 1792, the future Prussian King Frederick William IV in 1837, and the poet Guillaume Apollinaire in 1902. In 1963 the town acquired the house, and after a two-year renovation the museum moved in completely in 1969.

After the founder's fatal accident in 1975, the museum continued to operate, and since 2001 it has been run by the historian Dr. Christof Krieger. In the two residential floors, more than 20 rooms present furniture, paintings, and decorative arts of a wealthy family of the 18th and 19th centuries. The attic floors are devoted to the history of the town and region, with archaeological finds, crafts and guilds, the fortress of Mont Royal, and a folklore collection. The holdings also include maps, photographic plates, archival records, and a library.

Highlights

• Upper-class living rooms of the 18th and 19th centuries in the Baroque Villa Böcking
• Gilded KPM showpiece vase, a gift from the future King Frederick William IV to his hosts
• Historic fortepiano in the music room
• Plans and excavation finds of the French fortress of Mont Royal
• Historic model of the Grevenburg

Permanent exhibitions

• Bürgerliche Wohnkultur des 18. und 19. Jahrhunderts – On the two residential floors of the Baroque villa, furnished rooms show how a wealthy merchant family lived on the Moselle, with furniture, paintings, and art objects from three centuries.
• Stadt- und Regionalgeschichte – On the attic floor, Roman and medieval finds, evidence of crafts and guilds, and plans and finds from the fortress of Mont Royal tell the history of Traben-Trarbach.
• Volkskundliche Sammlung – The second attic floor presents rural living culture and everyday objects from the region.

Founded

1928

Operated by

Stadt Traben-Trarbach

Director

Dr. Christof Krieger

Admission & discounts

Group tours cost €3.50 per person plus a €60 guide fee.

Accessibility

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

Kids & families

Children up to age 5 have free admission; family ticket for 2 adults with children and young people up to age 18.

Getting there & parking

The museum is located in the Trarbach district on the riverside promenade. GPS address: Casinostraße 2, 56841 Traben-Trarbach.

Amenities & dining

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

Events & venue rental

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

Plan your visit