Museum der Stadt Butzbach
Town museum in a late medieval administrative building with a model of the Roman fort, an exhibition on Weidig, traditional costumes and the world's largest collection of miniature shoes.
About the museum
The museum's beginnings date back to 1894/95, when a museum of antiquities and traditional costumes was established in Butzbach. From 1907 to 1991 the collection was housed in a Gothic chapel. In the early 1990s the late medieval Solms-Braunfels Amtshaus (administrative building) on Färbgasse was restored and extended with a modern annex; since its completion in 1994, the museum there has presented the town's history on more than 1,000 square meters.
The exhibition is divided into several departments: the Roman period with finds from the Limes fort and a model of the fort, Butzbach as the residence of Landgrave Philipp III of Hesse-Butzbach, crafts and guilds, and industrialization. The last of seven departments, folk culture, was added in 2007 for the Hessentag (Hesse Day festival); it shows village life before industrialization and the traditional costumes of the Wetterau and Hüttenberg regions.
One focus is on the Butzbach teacher, theologian and gymnast Friedrich Ludwig Weidig, who in 1834, together with Georg Büchner, launched the pamphlet "Der Hessische Landbote". Since December 2025 the museum has devoted the new permanent exhibition "Auf den Spuren Weidigs" ("In Weidig's Footsteps") to him. Also on display is a letter from Büchner to Weidig's student Wilhelm Braubach, discovered in a Butzbach attic in 1993. Known beyond the region is the collection of miniature shoes assembled by Richard and Emilie Fenchel, listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest of its kind. Changing special exhibitions and lectures round out the program.
Highlights
- World's largest collection of miniature shoes (Guinness record)
- Letter by Georg Büchner from the 1993 Butzbach attic find
- Permanent exhibition "Auf den Spuren Weidigs"
- Model of the Roman fort and replica of a legionary in full equipment
- Traditional costumes from the Wetterau and Hüttenberg
Permanent exhibitions
- Auf den Spuren Weidigs – New permanent exhibition on the life and work of the Butzbach teacher and democrat Friedrich Ludwig Weidig, Georg Büchner's fellow campaigner on "Der Hessische Landbote".
- Schuhminiaturen der Sammlung Fenchel – The collection of tiny shoe models assembled by Richard and Emilie Fenchel is considered the largest of its kind according to the Guinness Book of Records.
- Römerzeit und Volkskunde – Finds and a model of the Butzbach Limes fort, plus the folk culture department with rural daily life and traditional costumes from the Wetterau and Hüttenberg.
- Founded
- 1894
- Operated by
- Stadt Butzbach
- Director
- Elisabeth Harder
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2People with severe disabilities, retirees, university students and recipients of unemployment benefit II (with ID) |
| Children & teens | €1Children and young people €1. |
| Seniors | €2Reduced admission for retirees. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €2 |
| Students & apprentices | €2 |
| Groups (10+ people) | €1 per personGuided tour €35 plus admission, on request. |
| Families | €6Parents with children. |
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Family ticket | €6 · Parents with children. |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
The fort model and the replica Roman soldier especially appeal to children. Since September 2026 there has been the workshop series "Lebendige Geschichte(n)" ("Living History/Stories") for children aged 6 to 10, with stories, museum exploration and crafts (materials €2, registration by email).
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
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
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours for groups on request (€35 plus admission). Regular lectures on local history. |
