Schlesisches Museum zu Görlitz

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The idea of a central museum for Silesia in the Federal Republic dates back to the 1970s. After an initial attempt in Lower Saxony, Görlitz was chosen in 1991 as the largest city in the part of Silesia that remained in Germany. In 1996 the federal government, the Free State of Saxony, the city of Görlitz, and the Landsmannschaft Schlesien (Silesian expellees’ association) set up a foundation to run the museum; the federal and state governments fund its operation.

The city provided the Schönhof on the Untermarkt as the museum building. The house dates back to the time the town was founded, stood on the Via Regia trade route, and after the town fire of 1525 received its Renaissance facade, which became the model for many Görlitz townhouses. Together with the Haus zum Goldenen Baum and the Fischmarkthaus, the badly dilapidated complex underwent extensive restoration completed in 2005, uncovering wall and ceiling paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries. The first exhibition rooms opened in 2001, and the permanent exhibition in the Schönhof in May 2006.

Across some 2,000 square meters, the museum tells a thousand years of Silesian history – from the landscape and towns through the Habsburg and Prussian eras, industrialization and modernism, to National Socialism, flight and expulsion, and the development of Silesia after 1945. On display are Breslau goldsmiths’ work, Riesengebirge (Giant Mountains) glass, Proskau faience, Bunzlau pottery, cast-iron art, and works of Breslau modernism. The museum works closely with museums in Polish Silesia, presents its texts in two languages, and houses the Kulturreferat für Schlesien (cultural office for Silesia). In 2026 it celebrates 500 years of the Schönhof and 20 years of the permanent exhibition.

Highlights

• The Schönhof of 1526 with Renaissance wall and ceiling paintings
• A thousand years of Silesian cultural history across some 2,000 m²
• Riesengebirge glass, Bunzlau pottery, and Breslau goldsmiths’ work
• Works of Breslau modernism, including Otto Mueller and Oskar Moll
• Multimedia section “Schlesien seit 1945” (Silesia since 1945) with a children’s area
• Free audio guide in German, Polish, and English

Permanent exhibitions

• Schlesien – tausend Jahre Kulturgeschichte – Permanent exhibition ranging from landscapes and towns through the Prussian era and modernism to National Socialism, the end of the war, and Silesia after 1945.

Founded

2006

Operated by

Stiftung Schlesisches Museum zu Görlitz

Director

Dr. Agnieszka Gąsior

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission for everyone on the first Sunday of every month.

Audio guide included in admission. Also free for press on assignment and for members of ICOM, the German and Saxon museum associations, and the friends’ association.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

All rooms can be reached by wheelchair users, but four rooms only with assistance (stairlift to room 15, mobile ramp to room 6, platform lifts to rooms 16 and 17). Wheelchair-accessible entrance via the museum shop (Brüderstraße 8) or Fischmarkt 5; accessible parking space in the courtyard at Bäckerstraße 2; accessible restroom in the Fischmarkthaus. Wheelchair and stools available at the ticket desk. Museum guide in Easy Language (Leichte Sprache); tours in plain language and for people with dementia on request; induction loop in the event room.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Playground / play area
• Kids’ birthday parties

Children's island in the Lichthof atrium with games, riddles, puzzles, books, and films; children's audio guide for daycare and elementary school children at the ticket desk. Themed tours for groups (e.g., with Rübezahl) and children's birthday parties by registration.

Getting there & parking

The museum is located in the old town on Untermarkt, opposite the town hall; the main entrance is in the pedestrian zone.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum store (also online).

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties: not available
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies: not available

Up to 100 guests.

Event room (approx. 105 m², up to 100 people in theater seating) with conference and interpreting equipment, plus hallway, south courtyard, and glass-roofed north courtyard for catering. Only for professional and cultural events, not for private parties.

Plan your visit