Local history museum in an 1828 farmer-burgher homestead (Ackerbürgerhof), with town and regional history, crafts, domestic culture and industrialisation; also the Old Synagogue.
September 13, 2026 – November 1, 2026
The exhibition in the Old Synagogue follows the photographer Hermann Wiele from the Harz via Madras and Bangalore in colonial India to Hagenow, and shows the European view of India about 100 years ago.
Volunteer craftsmen and local history enthusiasts founded the museum in 1974 in a residential barrack. Since 1983, the institution, run by the town, has been housed in a listed half-timbered ensemble in the old town centre, in front of the town church. Its core is the Jesselsche Gehöft (Jessel homestead), built in 1828, with living quarters, brewhouse and distillery, and a long storehouse and stable building; in addition, there are the small houses of the council servant Rick and the hatmaker Brandt. The entrance area, in a former gateway, also houses the Hagenow information office.
The permanent exhibition was redesigned in three construction phases between 2019 and 2024. It tells the story of the Griesen Gegend, a former heathland in south-western Mecklenburg, from the Stone Age through the Middle Ages to industrialisation, and shows crafts and household work, domestic and everyday culture, and technology. Highlights include the Hagenower Fürstengräber (princely graves) with archaeological finds, a large collection of forest glass, the historic taproom of the Hotel "Stadt Hamburg" from Wittenburg, a steam engine from 1902, and a fully equipped locksmith's workshop from the 1920s.
Since 2001, the former community buildings of the Jewish community have also belonged to the museum. The Old Synagogue, built in 1828 with a school and community house on Hagenstraße, is a unique ensemble in Mecklenburg; a ritual bath (Mikwe) was discovered in an outbuilding. The permanent exhibition in the Hanna-Meinungen-Haus is devoted to Jewish life in Western Mecklenburg and Hagenow.
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2Severely disabled people, apprentices, students, volunteers in the Voluntary Social Year (FSJ), and recipients of social welfare benefits |
| Children & teens | €1free up to age 5 · Pupils up to 16 years pay €1; children under 6 enter free. |
| Seniors | –No senior reduction listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €2 |
| Students & apprentices | €2 |
| Groups (10+ people) | €2 per personPer person, for groups of 10 or more. |
| Families | €6For a maximum of 2 adults with children. |
| Guided tour (plus admission) | €30Each additional hour: €15. |
| Project (plus admission) | €30 |
Admission covers the museum and the Old Synagogue; special exhibitions are included. Admission is free for members of the German Museums Association, ICOM, the Museum Association of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (M-V) and the friends' association.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
The museum is in the old town centre, right next to the town church (Lange Straße 79); the Old Synagogue is at Hagenstraße 48.
Get directionsThe entrance area of the museum houses the Hagenow information office.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours and project days for groups and school classes by advance registration; please contact the museum directly for offers. |
