Prignitz-Museum am Dom Havelberg
Regional museum in the monastery rooms at Havelberg Cathedral with exhibitions on cathedral, town, and settlement history on the Havel and Elbe.
About the museum
The museum's roots go back to 1869, when a historical society in Havelberg started a first collection. In 1904 the Verein zur Förderung der Heimatkunde in der Prignitz (association for the promotion of local studies in the Prignitz) was founded with the aim of building a museum for the region; as early as 1906 the first exhibition, with archaeological finds, parts of the cathedral's structure, and church art, was shown on the upper floor of the monastery complex at the cathedral. In 1938 a reorganization in expanded rooms followed.
When the Havel bridges were blown up in 1945, buildings and collection were severely damaged, and about a quarter of the holdings was lost. From 1946 the town of Havelberg ran the museum, in 1953 it became the district museum of the new Havelberg district, and since 1994 the Stendal district has been the operator.
From 1998 to 2021 the Kulturstiftung Sachsen-Anhalt gradually renovated the museum rooms in the former monastery complex; new permanent exhibitions were created in the process. In the cloister and west wing, the more than thousand-year history of the diocese, the Premonstratensian chapter, and the construction of the cathedral is told; in the great hall of the south wing, the history of the Hanseatic town of Havelberg. Since 2021 the former granary of the monastery has shown the settlement history of the Altmark, Prignitz, and Havelland from the Stone Age to industrialization. The program is supplemented by special exhibitions and events.
Highlights
- Exhibition rooms in the medieval monastery complex at Havelberg Cathedral
- Cathedral history in the Gothic cloister with seal dies and liturgical objects
- Havelberg's town history in 26 themes, from the Hanseatic League to the fall of the Wall (Wende)
- Settlement history of the Altmark, Prignitz, and Havelland since the Stone Age
- Children's and themed tours through the cathedral, monastery, and old town
Permanent exhibitions
- Domgeschichte – In the cloister and west wing, sacred objects, books, structural parts, and models lead through more than a thousand years of diocesan, chapter, and cathedral construction history.
- Stadtgeschichte Havelberg – In the great hall of the south wing, 26 themes tell of the bishop's town, the Hanseatic League, shipping, and fishing up to the postwar period.
- Nichts ist so beständig wie der Wandel – The settlement history of the Altmark, Prignitz, and Havelland in twelve chapters – from Stone Age hunters through the Slavs and the eastward settlement to the industrial era.
- Founded
- 1904
- Operated by
- Landkreis Stendal
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3School students, university students, trainees, federal volunteer service participants, recipients of benefits under SGB II, SGB XII, and the Housing Benefit Act, and people with severe disabilities with the "B" marker (in each case with proof) |
| Children & teens | €3free up to age 6 · School students pay the reduced price. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €3Reduction for people with severe disabilities with the "B" marker. |
| Students & apprentices | €3 |
| Groups | –Tours cost €6 per hour per person, at least €60 per tour for fewer than 10 people. |
| Families | €12Family ticket |
Free admission: Second Christmas Day (December 26)
Free admission for school classes from the Stendal district. Museum education programs cost €1 to €3.50 per hour.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Wheelchair users, guests with walking disabilities, and families with strollers reach the museum via an elevator in the west wing; the separate entrance is on Domplatz.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €12 · Family ticket |
- Family tours & workshops
- Stroller-friendly
Special children's tours with a hands-on part, such as building with small bricks, dressing up as medieval Havelbergers, or legend tours through the town and cathedral. With a stroller you can get into the museum by elevator.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Glöwen train station (approx. 10 km north, trains toward Berlin, Wittenberge, and Hamburg), from there bus to Havelberg bus station in approx. 15 minutes; alternatively from Stendal train station by bus in approx. 1.5 hours.
Havelberg is on the B 107, about 120 km northwest of Berlin. GPS destination: Domplatz 3, 39539 Havelberg. Boat landing at the harbor near the old town island; reachable by bike via the Elbe Cycle Route. The museum entrance is in the west wing of the monastery complex.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Museum, cathedral, and monastery tours as well as city tours of the old town island by prior registration (tel. 039387 21422); also themed tours of about 1.5 to 4 hours. Classes for school groups are also possible outside opening hours. |
