State museum in Ratingen-Hösel on the history and culture of Upper Silesia, today part of Poland and the Czech Republic, in a glass-and-steel building from 1998.
May 17, 2026 – December 19, 2027
The show brings pieces out of storage and tells how objects come into the museum and which life stories connect them with Upper Silesia.
From October 4, 2026
Works by students of the Liebfrauenschule Ratingen on dwellings, shelters and the loss of familiar places.
August 25, 2024 – December 19, 2027
A hands-on exhibition that introduces children to the region's eventful history in a playful way.
In 1964 North Rhine-Westphalia assumed sponsorship of the Upper Silesians living in the Federal Republic; many of them had found a new home on the Rhine and Ruhr after World War II, and as early as the 19th century Upper Silesian miners had moved to the Ruhr region. In 1970 the Stiftung Haus Oberschlesien (Upper Silesia House Foundation) was established in Ratingen-Hösel, and it still runs the museum today.
The museum began operating on a small scale in the foundation's building in 1983. In 1998 it moved into a new building across the street designed by the Cologne firm Walter von Lom & Partner: three interlocking cubes of concrete, steel and glass that meet in an open stairwell with a spiral staircase. Around 1,600 square meters on three levels are available for permanent and temporary exhibitions.
The collection has grown to more than 15,000 objects, many of them donations from family possessions. Its focal points are artifacts of hard-coal mining, including more than 250 coal carvings, and Gleiwitz cast-iron art with over 400 pieces. The permanent exhibition covers Upper Silesia before industrialization, the industrial region and the political upheavals of the 20th century. The museum is funded by the state and sees itself as a place of German-Polish-Czech understanding.
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3University students, people with disabilities (degree of disability/GdB 70 or more), seniors 65 and over, groups of 10 or more, holders of the Ehrenamtskarte NRW (volunteer card) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 18 · Free for children and young people up to and including age 18. |
| Seniors | €3From age 65. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €3With a GdB of 70 or more. |
| Students & apprentices | €3 |
| Groups (10+ people) | €3 per personReduced admission for 10 or more people; booked guided tour (up to 20 people, approx. 1 hr.) €35 plus admission. |
| Families | –No family ticket; free up to age 18. |
| Escape room incl. permanent and special exhibitions | €12Per person. |
| Annual pass | €20Reduced €10; valid for one year from purchase. |
| Public guided tour | €2Plus admission. |
Free admission for members of the friends' association, the Landsmannschaft der Oberschlesier, ICOM, the Deutscher Museumsbund and the Bundesverband Museumspädagogik.
Wheelchair users can reach all floors via a side entrance on the lower parking level (elevator on the right side of the building) and a ramp; please call ahead at +49 2102 965202. Wheelchair-accessible restroom on the first floor, seating and portable folding stools. Website information in Easy Language (Leichte Sprache).
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 18 |
|---|
Hands-on stations, tours and workshops for children and teenagers, holiday programs, and free Kulturrucksack courses for ages 10 to 14. Children's birthday parties (about 2.5 hours) with a treasure hunt or workshop activity. Strollers are allowed in the exhibition (access via the accessible entrance).
Oberschlesisches Landesmuseum
S 6 (Köln–Düsseldorf–Essen) to Hösel S-Bahn station, then approx. 800 m on foot or bus 770/773 to "Oberschlesisches Landesmuseum".
Free parking
Free parking directly in front of the building.
Self-service café on the first floor (water, coffee, juices). Museum shop.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (DE) |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Public guided tours usually on Sundays at 15:00 according to the events calendar. Audio content on the permanent exhibition at marked stations (also online as MP3). School programs from daycare to upper secondary level, booking via vermittlung@oslm.de. |
Cookies help you use this website. We only load the map and statistics with your consent.
