Schiefermuseum Ludwigstadt
Museum in a former factory building on geology, mining and the processing of slate, especially the manufacture of slate boards.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum was founded in 1981 in Steinbach an der Haide and opened in 1986. In 1993 it moved to Ludwigsstadt, into a factory building from 1949 on the B 85 that had previously housed a silver-bromide printing works. For this purpose the building was gutted down to its outer walls and load-bearing parts; it had been acquired by the Hermann-Söllner-Stiftung, founded in 1991. Today the town of Ludwigsstadt runs the museum.
The permanent exhibition is divided into six areas: geology, mining, slate boards and slate pencils, varied uses (such as whetstones, building stone, gravestones and decorative art), the roofing trade, and the social history of slate workers. A special focus is on board production, presented from simple home industry to industrial manufacturing; Ludwigsstadt at times supplied around a third of the world market, until paper notebooks displaced the slate board in the 1960s.
A historic classroom and craft stations complement the route. Since 2019 there has been a museum app (MuseumsAPP) for a self-guided tour. The museum belongs to the Nationaler Geopark Schieferland (Schieferland National Geopark); nearby is the Geopfad Eisenberg, a geopath with 16 stations.
Highlights
- Slate board production from home industry to factory
- Geology and slate mining in the Ludwigsstadt area
- Historic classroom
- Craft stations and the roofing trade
- MuseumsAPP for a self-guided tour
Permanent exhibition
- Dauerausstellung zu Schiefer und Schiefertafeln – Six themed areas from geology and mining through board production to the roofing trade and social history, with a historic classroom.
- Founded
- 1981
- Operated by
- Stadt Ludwigsstadt
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4Pupils, students and people with disabilities |
| Children & teens | €2.50free up to age 5 · Children aged 6 to 14; younger children free. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €4 |
| Students & apprentices | €4Pupils and students |
| Groups (10+ people) | €6 per personGroups of 10 or more with a guided tour: €6 per person; groups of up to 9 people without a guided tour: €4 per person. |
| Families | €102 adults with children |
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €10 · 2 adults with children |
- Hands-on stations
The museum education team sees the house as a "hands-on museum"; family ticket for 2 adults with children; children under 6 enter free.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Bahnhof Ludwigsstadt · 15-min walk
Franken-Thüringen-Express (hourly) to Ludwigsstadt.
Ludwigsstadt lies on the B 85 between Kronach and Saalfeld; the museum is in the town center next to the police station (Lauensteiner Straße 44).
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi, for example for downloading the MuseumsAPP.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | There is a MuseumsAPP for the tour (download via Google Play or the App Store, or a loan tablet at the ticket desk). Guided tours on various topics and for different school year levels, aligned with the curriculum (project musbi). |
