Musikinstrumentenmuseum Lißberg

About the museum

The museum goes back to the Frankfurt instrument maker and collector Kurt Reichmann. He discovered the hurdy-gurdy at Burg Waldeck in 1965, began building instruments himself in 1967, and brought his hurdy-gurdy festival to Lißberg in 1982. On his 50th birthday in 1990, the Musikinstrumentenmuseum opened here in the former one-room village school between the castle tower and the church; most of the holdings come from his collection.

The guiding theme is the development of musical instruments since Michael Praetorius, whose 1619 work “Syntagma musicum” provides the classification by instrument families. In a compact space, more than 2,000 originals and replicas stand side by side – bagpipes from many countries, from the huge “Großer Bock” to the little “Hümmelchen”, and hurdy-gurdies from France, Russia, and Germany. In addition, there are playable reconstructions of rare instruments such as the Nürnbergisch Geigenwerk, bassanello, dulcaina, and organ hurdy-gurdy, an ethnological collection of wind instruments, miniatures, and parts of historic violin-making and hurdy-gurdy workshops.

Since its opening, the museum has been run by a friends' association together with the town of Ortenberg; volunteers guide visitors through the collection. At a replica Renaissance music table, guests may try out instruments themselves, and an audio guide with 22 stops complements the tour. Hurdy-gurdy courses, hurdy-gurdy days, and concerts by the Bonifatius-Ensemble take place in and around the museum.

Highlights

• One of the world's largest collections of hurdy-gurdies and bagpipes
• Playable replica of the “Nürnbergisch Geigenwerk”
• Rare instruments such as the bassanello, dulcaina, and organ hurdy-gurdy
• Renaissance music table for trying instruments yourself
• Parts of violin makers' and hurdy-gurdy makers' workshops

Permanent exhibitions

• Die Entwicklung der Musikinstrumente von Michael Praetorius bis heute – More than 2,000 originals and replicas, arranged by instrument family, with a focus on hurdy-gurdies and bagpipes, plus a music table for trying them out.

Founded

1990

Operated by

Förderverein Musikinstrumenten-Museum Lißberg und Stadt Ortenberg

Director

Kurt Racky

Admission & discounts

Guided visit (including the castle tower and church) by phone appointment. Members of the friends' association get free admission.

Accessibility

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

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Hands-on stations

The museum explicitly welcomes children: at the try-it-out table, dozens of instruments, some of them quite curious, can be played by visitors themselves.

Getting there & parking

By car via the A45, exit Ortenberg. The museum is at the top of the castle hill between the church and the castle ruins; from the valley (Vulkanradweg cycle path) there is a climb of about 70 meters, mostly on cobblestones.

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