document Reichstag

About the museum

For centuries, the Old Town Hall was the political heart of the Free Imperial City of Regensburg: the council and administration met here, and the basement housed the court, a prison and the Fragstatt, the interrogation room with torture instruments. The complex grew together from several parts since the Middle Ages, including the 13th-century town hall tower and the Reichssaal wing, which in the 14th century was first built as the city's festival and dance hall.

From 1663 to 1806, the building was the seat of the Perpetual Imperial Diet. Envoys of the Holy Roman Empire deliberated in the Reichssaal and in separate rooms for the electors, princes and imperial cities. After the end of the Old Empire, the hall long served as a storehouse until it was restored in the early 20th century with funds from a nationwide lottery.

The Museum on the History of the Imperial Diets was set up in these historic rooms in 1963. Today it is part of the city's document sites under the name document Reichstag: a permanent exhibition explains the structure and function of the Reichstag and places the Holy Roman Empire in German and European history as well as in the history of Regensburg. In 2020, the Old Town Hall was also honored as one of the Places of Democracy in Bavaria.

Highlights

• Reichssaal with Gothic timber plank ceiling
• Deliberation rooms of the electors, princes and imperial cities
• Fragstatt and prison cells in the basement
• Permanent exhibition on the Perpetual Imperial Diet
• Tours also in English

Permanent exhibition

• document Reichstag – Tour through the Reichssaal and the historic deliberation rooms of the Perpetual Imperial Diet, with a permanent exhibition on the structure and function of the Reichstag, as well as the Fragstatt and prison cells.

Founded

1963

Operated by

Museen der Stadt Regensburg

Admission & discounts

Admission is tied to the guided tour (standard tour). Free admission applies, among others, to members of the friends' association of the Museen der Stadt Regensburg, ICOM members, tour guides and staff of other museums upon presentation of ID. Free admission on the first Sunday of the month does not apply here.

Accessibility

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

The rooms of the Perpetual Imperial Diet on the second floor are wheelchair-accessible; visitors with mobility impairments are asked to book in advance by phone at +49 941 507-3442. The court-related rooms in the basement (Fragstatt, prison cells) cannot be reached by wheelchair.

Kids & families

Family ticket €15 (parents with children under 18); children under 6 enter free; school classes have their own rate.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in the Old Town Hall on Rathausplatz in Regensburg's Old Town; access to the exhibition rooms is via the staircase in the Portalbau.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit