Museum in the birthplace of the theater reformer Friederike Caroline Neuber, with theater history, city history and an art collection from the northern Vogtland.
September 17, 2026 – November 1, 2026
The exhibition sheds light on the life and work of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, who not only collected fairy tales but also founded German studies and were politically active. Hands-on stations for all ages.
The museum goes back to the Vogtländischer Verein für allgemeine und spezielle Naturkunde (Vogtland Society for General and Special Natural History), founded in 1859, which opened the first public display at Johannisplatz 3 in 1874. The building is the oldest secular building in Reichenbach, the city's former courthouse, and also the birthplace of the actress and theater reformer Friederike Caroline Neuber, known as the Neuberin (1697–1760). With an interruption from 1905 to 1920, it has been used as a museum ever since.
The Neuberin led her own theater troupe from 1727 to 1756, banished the Harlequin from the stage in 1737, and introduced a middle-class German theater. The museum's permanent exhibition is dedicated to her and, according to the museum, is unique in Germany. Picture and text documents, stage technology and theater models show the theater history of the 18th century, and visitors can try out theater effects such as thunder and storm.
The museum also presents the city and industrial history of Reichenbach (textile, railway, printing and publishing history, and the city model "Reichenbach anno 1740"). Since 1939 it has maintained an art collection of more than 4,500 works, mainly by artists from the northern Vogtland. In total the collection comprises around 14,000 objects, as well as a specialist library of about 9,000 volumes. The house also contains the city's wedding hall, a museum shop and the restaurant "Museumskeller."
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2Children and reduced-rate visitors |
| Children & teens | €2 |
| Tour of the external storage depot (Reichenbach industrial history) | €3By arrangement, adults. |
School classes pay from €0.50 per child for guided tours, depending on the effort involved.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
In the permanent exhibition, visitors can try out 18th-century theater technology themselves; there are museum education programs for school classes.
Am Graben · 3-min walk
By train to the upper Reichenbach station, then by bus (stop E), taxi or on foot (about 30 minutes). By bus to the stop "Am Graben" (lines 10, 80, 81, 89), then about 3 minutes on foot.
By car via the A72 to the Reichenbach junction, on the B94 into Reichenbach; at the Peter-Paul-Kirche (Peter and Paul Church) turn right into "Am Graben," then left into Lange Gasse, left into Museumsstraße and left onto Johannisplatz.
Get directionsRestaurant "Museumskeller" and museum shop in the building.
The city's wedding hall is located in the building.
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Tours are tailored to the interests of the group and possible by arrangement; for school classes there are overview and theme tours as well as project teaching. |
