Museum in Robert Schumann's birthplace on Zwickau's Hauptmarkt, home to the world's largest Schumann collection and historic keyboard instruments.
August 23, 2026 – November 7, 2026
Letters, diaries, sheet music and historical recordings shed light on the Schumanns' Jewish friendships and the rise of antisemitism in the 19th century; part of the theme year “Tacheles 2026.”
To mark the composer's 100th birthday, a Schumann museum was founded in Zwickau in 1910, initially housed in the municipal König-Albert-Museum. In 1914 the city bought the house on the Hauptmarkt where Robert Schumann was born on June 8, 1810, and where his father August had run a bookshop and publishing business. From 1935 the birth room was open to the public as a memorial room.
The collection was to move into the birthplace in time for the 1956 commemorative year. Because the building had been badly damaged, not least by a flood in 1954, a reconstructive new building was erected instead of a conversion, combining three neighboring houses and adding a concert hall. Opened on July 22, 1956, it is considered the first new museum building in the GDR and is a listed monument together with its furnishings.
The permanent exhibition was redesigned in the early 1990s and again in 2011; in eight rooms with more than 350 objects, it traces the lives of Robert and Clara Schumann. The house holds the world's most important collection of manuscripts, letters, portraits and personal belongings of the couple and is also a research center where projects including the edition of the Schumann letters are produced.
Among its best-known pieces is Clara Wieck's grand piano from 1828. Seven original 19th-century keyboard instruments are played during guided tours. Since 2005 the museum has been directed by Thomas Synofzik; it is run by the city of Zwickau and hosts the annual Schumann-Fest.
| Adults | €9 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €7School pupils and full-time students aged 18 and over, people with severe disabilities (degree of disability 50 or higher), holders of the Sächsische Ehrenamtskarte (Saxon volunteer card), and visitors with a ticket from the August Horch Museum (or, until April 30, 2027, from St. Mary's Cathedral) within six months |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and teens free until their 18th birthday. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €7companion free · Reduced admission for people with severe disabilities (degree of disability 50 or higher); one companion free if noted on the ID. |
| Students & apprentices | €7Full-time students (not auditors, part-time or distance-learning students). |
| Groups (10+ people) | €5 per personVisitors eligible for concessions pay €3.50 in groups. One tour group leader free. Guided tour (1 hour, with instrument demonstration) plus admission: €35 during opening hours, €70 outside; in a foreign language €45/€90. |
| Combination ticket (Priesterhäuser, Max-Pechstein-Museum im ZwischenRAUM, Robert-Schumann-Haus) | €10Reduced €7; valid on one opening day. |
| Photo/video permit | €3Per day and person, private use only. |
Free admission: Free admission on the first Wednesday of every month
Also free for holders of the Zwickau-Pass and members of ICOM and the Museumsbund. Your ticket gets you reduced admission at the August Horch Museum.
First floor with ticket desk, foyer, restroom and concert hall is accessible; entrance via a mobile ramp with a doorbell. The exhibition on the upper floor can be reached by stairlift. Loaner wheelchair available; audio guide for visually impaired visitors and video guides for deaf visitors.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
Children's audio guide. Themed tours for children with making simple instruments or writing with quill and ink; film project "Museum in a Clip" for ages 9 to 19 (about 4 hours, free).
Hauptmarkt
Streetcar line 3 to Hauptmarkt; Vogtlandbahn to the stop Zwickau Zentrum.
Parking available
Parking at the Parkhaus Zentrum garage, in the underground garage and at the Ostspiegel Hauptmarkt parking lot.
Museum shop; coat check during events €0.50.
Up to 140 guests.
The concert hall (movable seating for 140 people, Steinway and Förster grand pianos) is rented out for concerts.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (DE, EN) |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Permitted for private purposes for a fee (€3 per day). |
| Good to know | Guided tours available in five languages and on various themes, with demonstrations on historic instruments; free for school classes and children's groups, or €1 per person for themed tours. Four audio guides (German, English, children, visually impaired). |
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