Schwedenspeicher-Museum

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The massive brick building at the Alter Hafen (old harbor) was built between 1692 and 1705, when Stade was under Swedish rule, as a provisions store for the garrison. It could be supplied directly by ship via the Elbe and Schwinge rivers. With two full stories and three attic levels, a foundation on oak piles and long rows of loading hatches, it was the largest secular building in the town at the time.

Even after the Swedish period, the warehouse served various troops as a depot, but then fell increasingly into disrepair and was slated for demolition. In the mid-1970s, a citizens' initiative together with the Stader Geschichts- und Heimatverein (local history society) secured its preservation. After extensive renovation, the museum opened here in 1977.

Today the Schwedenspeicher is the main building of the Museen Stade, run by the Museumsverein Stade (museum association). Following a redesign that won the red dot design award in 2012, it presents permanent exhibitions across some 1,650 m² on town history with an interactive town model, on the Hanseatic era with finds from the major 1989 harbor excavation and – since 2015 – on the prehistory and early history of the Elbe-Weser region. Changing special exhibitions on cultural history round out the program; the museum holds the Lower Saxony museum quality seal.

Highlights

• Stade bronze wheels from a ritual cart (around 1000 BC)
• Clothing of the Iron Age bog find "Mann von Obenaltendorf" (Man of Obenaltendorf)
• Gold coin from Fredenbeck bearing the portrait of Constantine the Great
• Interactive model of the town's history
• Finds from the 1989 Stade harbor excavation

Permanent exhibitions

• Hansezeit – Using Stade as an example, five themed sections with illustrations, 3D graphics and hands-on stations tell of life in a medieval Hanseatic town; many objects come from the 1989 harbor excavation.
• Stadtgeschichte – An interactive town model illustrates how Stade developed over the centuries.
• Ur- und Frühgeschichte – Six eras from the Neanderthals to the Vikings with important finds from the Elbe-Weser region, including the bronze wheels; children can explore a level of their own.

Founded

1977

Operated by

Museumsverein Stade e. V. (Museen Stade)

Director

Dr. Sebastian Möllers

Admission & discounts

A joint "Museen Stade Ticket – one price, three museums" is valid for the Schwedenspeicher, the Kunsthaus and the Altländer Haus in the open-air museum on the island; there is no separate admission for the Schwedenspeicher alone. Guided tours: virtual town tour €5, themed and exhibition tours €4, foreign-language tours €5 (each per person plus admission), evening surcharge €50.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• 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

Step-free entrance with automatic side door, elevator to all exhibition levels, induction loop; FM system for guided tours on request (04141 79773-50).

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Kids’ birthday parties

Courses, workshops, and special events for children; birthday parties for ages 6 to 12 with changing themes. Interactive stations and a family guide through the exhibition. Member of Kinderferienland Niedersachsen; children and teenagers under 18 have free admission.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop, plus an online shop and gift vouchers.

Events & venue rental

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

Up to 100 guests.

Meese-Richter-Saal (up to 100 people in rows, 40 in conference seating) and a conference room in the attic (up to 15 people) for conferences, seminars and lectures, including an exhibition visit; private parties not permitted. Booking: buchung@museen-stade.de.

Plan your visit