Museum in der Osterburg

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The Osterburg is the ancestral castle of the Vögte von Weida. Vogt Heinrich I began in 1163 to build a Romanesque fortification on a site where Slavic finds of the 11th century had already come to light. In the 13th and 14th centuries it was the residence and administrative center of the Vogtland; under the Wettins it later became the seat of district administration and the court. It received its present name only in the 16th century. The town of Weida has managed the site since 1930 and has owned it legally since 1996; since 1997 the friends' association "Freunde der Osterburg" has supported it.

The museum uses rooms in the Alte Schloss, the Remise and the castle tower. The 54-meter-high keep, with walls 5.70 meters thick, houses the "360°-Museum": here a film on the history of the Vogtland and of the noble family of the Reußen is projected directly onto the Romanesque brickwork. Below it, the exhibition "Mittelalterlicher Bergfried, Archäologie und Bauforschung", opened in 2009, shows the structure of the tower; above, the watchman's room, inhabited until 1917, has been furnished.

In the Alte Schloss there is also a lapidarium, two permanent exhibitions and a gallery. The castle includes a medieval root garden (Wurzgarten) and an event area in the "Höfischer Lustgarten".

Highlights

• 360° film in the keep, projected onto the brickwork
• 54-meter-high castle keep
• Exhibition on the keep, archaeology and building research
• Originally furnished watchman's room
• Medieval root garden (Wurzgarten)
• AR app "Osterburg 2.0"

Permanent exhibitions

• 360°-Museum im Bergfried – In the 54-meter-high castle keep, a film on the history of the Vogtland and the Reußen is projected directly onto the Romanesque brickwork.
• Mittelalterlicher Bergfried, Archäologie und Bauforschung – The exhibition, opened in 2009, explains the structure and building history of the keep and of the Romanesque tower enclosed within it.
• Türmerstube – The originally furnished room above the second battlement ring was inhabited until 1917.

Operated by

Stadt Weida

Admission & discounts

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The mascot "Türmi von Weida" introduces young visitors to the content; the castle offers holiday and Easter programs for children. Children from age 7 pay €3.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

There are food and drink facilities on the castle grounds.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Weddings / ceremonies

Weddings take place in the Balkensaal; the Moritzgewölbe in the Neues Schloss and the prison garden serve as venues for small-scale arts events (Kleinkunst).

Plan your visit