Museum in der Anstalt

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The museum is housed in the manor house of an old estate, the Hainer Hof, which already formed the center of the village when Hähnlein was first mentioned in 1333. Over the centuries the estate changed hands several times; for a while it belonged to the physician Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland. In 1849 a committee of the Innere Mission (the Protestant church's social welfare movement) acquired the property and set up a home for orphaned and troubled boys, which was dedicated in 1851. Under pressure from the Nazis, the institution had to close in 1939.

The building then passed to the municipality of Hähnlein. Among other things, it served as refugee housing, a dentist's office, and, until 1977, the town hall. For the 650th anniversary celebrations in 1983, the Hähnlein history working group set up an exhibition on the upper floor, which gradually grew into a permanent museum. In 2006 this gave rise to the Museumsverein Alsbach-Hähnlein (museum association); after a complete renovation as part of a village renewal program, the museum reopened with a new concept in March 2009.

The permanent exhibition shows the different paths taken by the two villages – tourism, villas, and a sanatorium in Alsbach; goat breeding and workers' cycling clubs in Hähnlein – and tells the story of the boys' home. It is complemented by an archaeological cabinet with a mammoth tusk and a model of the Weilerhügel lowland castle, as well as animal dioramas with audio stations. Since 2011 the association has staged major cartoon exhibitions roughly every two years, featuring works by Peter Gaymann, Janosch, Uli Stein, and Til Mette, among others, and it also leads tours of the Jewish cemetery in Alsbach.

Highlights

• Huge mammoth tusk in the archaeological cabinet
• Model of the medieval Weilerhügel lowland castle
• History of the reform home for boys (1851–1939)
• Animal dioramas with audio stations
• Cartoon exhibitions by well-known artists every two years

Permanent exhibitions

• Orts- und Anstaltsgeschichte – The contrasting development of Alsbach and Hähnlein – summer resort and sanatorium in one, goat breeding and workers' cycling in the other – plus the history of the reform home for boys.
• Archäologisches Kabinett und heimische Tierwelt – Finds ranging from a stone axe and Roman terra sigillata to medieval stove tiles, along with a mammoth tusk and a castle model; plus animal dioramas with audio stations.

Founded

1983

Operated by

Museumsverein Alsbach-Hähnlein e.V.

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission and guided tours are free; donations go entirely to the museum.

Accessibility

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

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Kids’ birthday parties: not available

“Zieglinde” the goat guides children through local history. For school classes there are museum and village scavenger hunts, “Great-Grandmother's Washday” with washboard and zinc tub, an old-time school lesson with a Sütterlin handwriting workshop, and tours of the Jewish cemetery. Due to lack of space, the museum does not currently offer children's birthday parties.

Getting there & parking

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