Siegerlandmuseum im Oberen Schloss

About the museum

After the city of Siegen acquired the Upper Castle in 1888, the Siegerlandmuseum was inaugurated there on March 25, 1905. It began with only three rooms and grew to about 35 rooms by 1929; since 1981 the city of Siegen has been the sole sponsor. Today the museum shows art and regional and city history over about 1,500 square meters.

The building itself dates back to the 13th century: the hilltop castle was long jointly owned by the Counts of Nassau and the Archbishops of Cologne and mostly served as a secondary residence. In the early 17th century, Count John VII of Nassau-Siegen expanded it into his residence, with an arsenal, castle garden, and fortifications. Later, Prussian authorities used the castle; after war damage in 1944, the stone building was restored by the 1950s.

One focus is Peter Paul Rubens, who was born in Siegen in 1577. The Rubens Hall shows paintings by the master, his workshop, and his circle, including the oil sketch "Ecce Homo," donated in 2024; in addition there is a collection of over 800 Rubens prints. Other departments are devoted to the House of Nassau-Orange, Prince John Maurice of Nassau-Siegen, domestic culture, and city history. The economic history recalls more than 2,000 years of ore mining in the Siegerland: in 1938 a show mine about 100 meters long was created beneath the castle courtyard. From the castle tower, the view extends over the city and the Sieg valley.

Highlights

• Rubens Hall with paintings by Peter Paul Rubens and his workshop
• Oil sketch "Ecce Homo" by Rubens
• Show mine about 14 meters below the castle courtyard
• Portrait collection of the House of Nassau-Orange
• Blowing engine about five meters tall from around 1840 and a La Tène period smelting furnace
• Panoramic view of Siegen from the castle tower

Permanent exhibitions

• Peter Paul Rubens – The Rubens Hall shows autograph works and workshop pieces by the Baroque painter born in Siegen, from several creative periods.
• Wirtschaftsgeschichte und Schaubergwerk – Ore mining and iron smelting in the Siegerland with a mineral collection, smelter models, and a walk-in tunnel beneath the castle courtyard.
• Das Haus Nassau-Oranien – Portraits and records of the dynasty, which is closely tied to Siegen and the Upper Castle as a secondary residence.

Founded

1905

Operated by

Universitätsstadt Siegen

Director

Karin Kolb

Admission & discounts

Free admission also for members of the friends' association, of ICOM, or of the German Museums Association, and with a Siegen ID. Those who park at the Hasengarten parking lot receive free admission upon presentation of the parking ticket (lower receipt stub). Sunday tour for children aged 6 and up and young people €4.

Accessibility

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

Not accessible for people with limited mobility: the entrance, exhibitions, and restrooms can be reached only via steps, no elevator, cobblestones in the castle courtyard. Folding museum stools are available. Four times a year, free telephone tours, including for blind and visually impaired people. Guide dogs and assistance dogs permitted.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Kids’ birthday parties

Free museum bag for families with a puzzle booklet about the lion cub Toni and small surprises; also a museum scavenger hunt. The Ideas Workshop in the attic, with a dress-up selfie station, games, books, and a printing press, is freely accessible during opening hours. Open Ideas Workshop every second Saturday 13:30–16:00 (€5) and family afternoons. Children's birthday parties from age 4 (90 minutes, €75, up to 12 children), e.g. with a trip into the show mine. Strollers stay in the foyer; baby carriers can be borrowed at the ticket desk.

Getting there & parking

By car from the south via B 45/Löhrtor, Löhrstraße, Markt, and Neumarkt to Burgstraße; from the north via Hagener Straße, Kampenstraße, Hinterstraße, and Am Klubb. Access is also possible from the castle park.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Coat check
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

No food service in the museum; cafés and restaurants in Siegen's upper town. Coat racks and lockers in the foyer, and for groups, carts for jackets and backpacks; bags larger than about A4 size are not allowed in the exhibition. Free Wi-Fi.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 80 guests.

The Mirror Hall (48 m², 18–25 seats, also the wedding room of the Siegen registry office; rental €150) and the Orange Hall (121 m², up to 80 seats, only outside opening hours; rental €150 plus supervision) can be rented. After weddings, a sparkling wine reception can be booked in the Gothic Hall. Food and drinks only in the coffee room and to a limited extent in the Mirror Hall.

Plan your visit