Mittelschwäbisches Heimatmuseum

About the museum

The first impetus for a museum in Krumbach came in 1908 from district officer Ernst Riedel, who, in the spirit of the then-popular homeland preservation movement, called for the collecting of old art and everyday objects. However, serious collecting only began after the founding of the Heimatverein for the Krumbach district in 1932.

In 1938 the town came into possession of the former Jewish residence at what is now Heinrich-Sinz-Straße 5, which was to serve as a local history museum; the Second World War delayed the plans. The museum only opened in September 1950, following a concept by state conservator Joseph Maria Ritz. In the following decades the exhibition was repeatedly expanded and lost its clear focus; structural defects were added to this.

In 1995 a special-purpose association, supported half each by the town of Krumbach and the district of Günzburg, took over the museum; the objects are contributed by the Heimatverein. The association acquired the neighboring former inn "Krone," which by 2000 became the entrance and exhibition building. By 2003 the renovation of the listed townhouse and its rear building followed, with individual rooms preserved in their old state of presentation.

Since then the museum has consisted of four buildings and an outdoor area with a historic railway signal tower and a glazed carriage shed for vehicles. On display are religion, law, crafts, trades, and living culture of the region; a sukkah (booth for the Feast of Tabernacles) recalls the Jewish history of the house. In 2017 a section on flight and expulsion after 1945 was added; in winter the museum traditionally presents nativity scenes. In 2011 it received the Swabian Museum Prize.

Highlights

• Former Jewish townhouse from 1810 with sukkah
• Farmhouse parlor and bourgeois salon as historic living rooms
• Outdoor area with railway signal tower and vehicle shed
• Section "Neue Heimat Mittelschwaben" on flight and expulsion
• Nativity scene show in winter
• Free audio guide with 24 stations

Permanent exhibitions

• Dauerausstellung zur Geschichte Mittelschwabens – A tour through four buildings on religion, the judiciary, crafts, trades, and living, from the farmhouse parlor to the bourgeois salon.
• Neue Heimat Mittelschwaben – Flucht und Vertreibung – The section opened in 2017 uses documents and objects to show how displaced persons arrived and gained a foothold in the region after 1945.

Founded

1950

Operated by

Zweckverband Mittelschwäbisches Heimatmuseum Krumbach

Director

Anita Roth

Admission & discounts

Guided tour €2 per person additional. Free admission also for the museum's volunteer staff.

Accessibility

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

Accessible entrance, step-free public areas, and seating.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The "Schule der Phantasie" offers creative courses for children at the museum (mostly from age 4, small course fee). There are also hands-on afternoons for grandparents with grandchildren and holiday programs.

Getting there & parking

Krumbach is located in Central Swabia between Augsburg, Memmingen, and Ulm. Accessible parking spaces available.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Wi-Fi: not available

Ticket desk and coat check in the entrance building; currently no Wi-Fi in the museum.

Events & venue rental

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

Plan your visit