Schulmuseum Dresden

About the museum

The Schulmuseum is located in Friedrichstadt at a site with a long tradition of schooling: the neighboring school building from 1785 is considered the oldest school building in Dresden still in use, and from 1787 to 1865 it housed the first teacher training college in Saxony. The front building, which houses the museum today, was built in 1886 and initially served as a boys' school.

The museum is run by the Verein Schulmuseum Dresden, an association founded in 1997 that came together after the closure of an earlier school history institution. It takes care of operations, education and the collection; about a third of its more than 60 members are actively involved in the museum, and guided tours and supervision are largely in the hands of volunteers. The current exhibition on Seminarstraße opened in 2006.

Four period rooms trace everyday school life from 1871 to 1990: the Imperial-era classroom with slate and cane, the room on the progressive education of the Weimar Republic, the room on education under National Socialism and the GDR classroom. A visitor center with a writing station and changing display-case exhibits completes the tour. In its storage facilities the association keeps one of the largest schoolbook collections in eastern Germany, as well as teaching charts, school films and a chronicle of Dresden's school history.

Highlights

• Re-enacted Imperial-era school lesson with slate pencil and slate
• Four period rooms from 1871 to 1990, including a GDR classroom
• Writing station with pen and ink at historic school desks
• Large schoolbook collection and chronicle of Dresden's school history
• Building next to Dresden's oldest school building still in use

Permanent exhibitions

• Kaiserzeitzimmer (1871–1918) – Reconstructed classroom from around 1900 with original furniture and a portrait of the Kaiser, where the strictness, drill and punishments of school life in the Wilhelmine era become tangible.
• Weimarer Republik und Nationalsozialismus (1918–1945) – Two rooms contrast Dresden's school reform movement during Germany's first democracy with the ideological infiltration of teaching in the Nazi state and the fate of Jewish students.
• DDR-Klassenzimmer (1949–1990) – School desks, packed satchels and teaching materials invite visitors to try things out and to talk with contemporary witnesses about schooling in the GDR.

Operated by

Schulmuseum Dresden e. V.

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Unguided visits during opening hours are free; donations are welcome. Proof of eligibility is required for reductions.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The listed building is not wheelchair-accessible. For blind and visually impaired visitors there are tactile stations, personal guidance and audio media. The website is also available in Easy German (Einfache Sprache).

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

Lots to try out: slate and slate pencil, abacus, writing with pen and ink, satchels from the GDR era. Age-appropriate guided tours even for preschool and after-school groups; themed programs also for children and families.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

Library, storage and archive can be used by researchers upon prior request.

Events & venue rental

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

Plan your visit