September 23, 2026 – February 14, 2027
15. Aenne-Biermann-Preis für deutsche Gegenwartsfotografie
Exhibition of the award-winning and nominated works of the competition for contemporary photography from Germany.
Museum für Angewandte Kunst
Thuringia's specialist museum of applied arts in the Baroque Ferbersches Haus in Gera – with Art Deco, Bauhaus ceramics, and Aenne Biermann.
Opening hoursAdmission from €6
Current exhibitions
March 31, 2026 – February 14, 2027
Paul Helmut Becker – Gebrauchsgrafik zwischen Tradition und Wirtschaftspolitik der DDR
Cabinet exhibition on the advertising and commercial graphics of a designer whose work was caught between design tradition and the demands of the East German economy.
About the museum
The museum is housed in the Ferbersches Haus, a Baroque town house arranged around an inner courtyard on Greizer Straße. The portal dates from 1760; after the town fire of 1780, the owner at the time had the property extended to the south in 1785/86. It owes its current name to Moritz Rudolf Ferber, who acquired it in 1842. His heirs redesigned the living quarters on the second floor in the Historicist style; after 1945 the building was used as an apartment house.
The Museum für Angewandte Kunst opened here in 1984 and remains the only specialist museum of its kind in Thuringia. It is part of the municipal museums of Gera.
The permanent exhibition is devoted to applied arts between the world wars, from French Art Deco to Functionalism. On display are ceramics, porcelain, glass, metalwork, jewelry, fashion accessories, packaging, and furniture, including works by the Bauhaus ceramicists Otto Lindig, Theodor Bogler, and Marguerite Friedlaender-Wildenhain as well as designs by the Gera architect Thilo Schoder. It is based mainly on the collections of Georg Brühl and Hermann Götting.
Another focus is the photographer Aenne Biermann, who lived in Gera from 1920 and whose vintage prints the museum preserves. In her name the city awards the Aenne-Biermann-Preis for contemporary German photography, whose exhibition is shown at the museum. In addition, there is the Welle collection of European studio ceramics from the second half of the 20th century.
Highlights
- Bauhaus ceramics by Otto Lindig, Theodor Bogler, and Marguerite Friedlaender-Wildenhain
- Art Deco furniture and objects, including works by Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann and Jean Perzel
- Vintage photographs by Aenne Biermann
- Designs by the Gera architect Thilo Schoder
- Studio ceramics from the Welle collection (including Lucie Rie, Hans Coper)
- Baroque Ferbersches Haus with inner courtyard
Permanent exhibitions
- Art déco und Funktionalismus. Angewandte Kunst zwischen den Weltkriegen – Crafts, furniture, fashion, and photography of the interwar period, from French Art Deco and Bauhaus ceramics to Aenne Biermann and Thilo Schoder.
- Founded
- 1984
- Operated by
- Stadt Gera
- Director
- Anne-Kathrin Segler
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4University students, trainees, people with severe disabilities, seniors, holders of the Thüringer Ehrenamtscard (Thuringia volunteer card) and the Simson-Card |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and teens under 18 free. |
| Seniors | €4Reduced admission. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €4companion free · Reduced; with the "B" marker, the companion is admitted free. |
| Students & apprentices | €4Reduced for university students and trainees. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €4 per personFrom 10 people €4 per person; booked guided tour €40 plus admission. School classes free when visiting as part of lessons. |
| Families | –No family ticket listed; admission is free for under-18s. |
| Annual pass (all municipal museums of Gera) | €45non-transferable, valid for 12 months |
| Surcharge for public guided tour | €1.50plus admission |
Prices valid since January 1, 2024. Also free for volunteer service participants (FSJ/FÖJ) and members of the press.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- 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
According to the city of Gera, the museum is not accessible; there is no step-free entrance.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Kids’ birthday parties
With the character “Melchior der Museumsmarder,” children can explore the special exhibitions independently and playfully. Children's birthday parties as well as programs for school and after-school groups through the museum education department.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Stadtgraben · 100 m
Bus 10, 11, 14, 17, 19, 25, and 26 to Stadtgraben; tram 1 (Heinrichstraße) and 3 (Sorge/Markt or Leipziger Straße). From Gera main train station about 1 km on foot.
By car
Paid parking
Paid parking lots directly at the Salvatorkirche, in the Parkhaus Markt/Rathaus (Nicolaistraße), and at the parking lot Am Markt (Stadtgraben 12). Coaches at the marked coach parking area near the Schillerstraße stop.
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 |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Public and booked guided tours, workshops, programs for school classes and after-school groups, and children's birthday parties; registration with the museum education team (0365 838-1436). |
