Rungehaus

About the museum

The five-bay, plastered house on Kronwiekstraße was built in the early 18th century on a fieldstone base; a segmental-arch portal with a Baroque door and a short flight of steps characterize the facade. Here Philipp Otto Runge was born in 1777 as the ninth of eleven children of the shipowner and merchant Daniel Nicolaus Runge and spent his first years. Runge later became, alongside Caspar David Friedrich, the most important painter of North German Romanticism; he developed a spherical color theory and wrote down Low German fairy tales such as "Von dem Fischer un syner Fru" (The Fisherman and His Wife), which the Brothers Grimm included in their collection.

After renovation in 1996 and 1997, the house opened as a museum on July 23, 1997, Runge's birthday. On display were, among other things, full-size reproductions of his paintings, whose originals are held by the Hamburger Kunsthalle, as well as a computer station on color theory. For his 240th birthday in 2017, the exhibition on two floors was redesigned in a new, interactive form; a living room gallery shows works by contemporary artists, and the courtyard is the venue of the annual Kulturnacht (culture night).

For Runge's 250th birthday in 2027, the house is being completely refurbished and is closed for that purpose from November 2026. The new permanent exhibition, which opens on May 2, 2027, arranges the rooms according to Runge's color thinking and his cycle of the four times of day: the tour leads from the dark ground floor to the bright upper floor. The house is also the center of the Wolgast Runge Summer 2027.

Highlights

• Birthplace of the Romantic painter Philipp Otto Runge
• Insights into Runge's color theory and the cycle of the four times of day
• The fairy tale "Von dem Fischer un syner Fru" and its Wolgast roots
• Living room gallery with temporary exhibitions
• New permanent exhibition from May 2, 2027 for the 250th birthday

Permanent exhibitions

• Dauerausstellung zu Philipp Otto Runge (Gestaltung 2017) – Interactive exhibition on two floors on the painter's life, work, and Wolgast origins; last chance before the renovation.
• Neue Dauerausstellung im Rungehaus – Thematically arranged rooms follow Runge's color thinking and the four times of day and lead from the dark ground floor to the bright upper floor.

Founded

1997

Operated by

Wolgaster Kulturgesellschaft gGmbH (Museen der Stadt Wolgast)

Director

Stefan Rahde

Admission & discounts

Cash only. Prices include special exhibitions (as of September 2026).

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• 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

Information on accessibility is available from the Wolgast tourist information office (Kronwiekstraße 3, telephone 03836 600118).

Kids & families

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

Getting there & parking

The house is in the old town of Wolgast not far from the harbor; the tourist information office is the first point of contact for visitor questions.

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