Museum in the Early Classicist summer palace in Greiz Park, with a library, a print cabinet and the SATIRICUM, the GDR caricature collection.
October 10, 2026 – February 28, 2027
First comprehensive overview of the caricatural work of the draughtsman Roland Beier (born 1955), who also became known as an illustrator of school textbooks. On show in the Beletage (main floor).
October 10, 2026 – February 28, 2027
A selection of printed graphics by the Berlin artist, marking his 300th birthday, with a focus on his illustrations for Basedow’s Elementarwerk of 1774. On show in the Beletage.
September 11, 2026 – November 22, 2026
The cabinet exhibition honours the economist and caricaturist Hans-Hubertus Esser and his donation of around 7,000 volumes on the history of caricature to the SATIRICUM in Greiz.
May 30, 2026 – November 1, 2026
Four decades of work by the Berlin caricaturist Heinz Jankofsky (1935 to 2002), a formative figure of GDR humour who continued to comment on current events in drawings after 1990. On show in the garden hall.
The summer palace stands in the Fürstlich Greizer Park (Princely Greiz Park) and dates from 1768–69, when Heinrich XI Reuss had a new summer residence built after inheriting the Untergreiz line. Around 1779 the interior was fitted out in the Early Classicist style after French models; the 36-meter-long garden hall, formerly an orangery, was used for festivities, theater and concerts. From 2005 to 2011, the building was comprehensively restored by the Stiftung Thüringer Schlösser und Gärten (Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation).
The Staatliche Bücher- und Kupferstichsammlung (State Collection of Books and Prints) combines several holdings. The princely library goes back to Heinrich XI around 1747 and today comprises some 35,000 volumes from the 16th to the 21st century; in 1921–22, part of the older holdings of the Rutheneum grammar school in Gera was added. The most valuable part of the print cabinet comes from the estate of the English Princess Elizabeth (1770–1840), which arrived in Greiz around 1848 and contains especially portraits and mezzotints.
In 1975, the SATIRICUM was founded as a separate department: the national caricature collection of the GDR. It holds historical caricatures from the 17th to 19th centuries and around 10,000 sheets from the GDR period; since 1990 it has collected throughout the German-speaking region. The institution is run by the Landkreis Greiz (Greiz district); the museum shows changing exhibitions in the Beletage (piano nobile).
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5Pupils, students, pensioners, participants in the Federal Volunteer Service (Bundesfreiwilligendienst), holders of the Sozialpass (social pass) and Ehrenamtscard (volunteer card), and groups of 10 or more people |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 6 · Children up to age 6 and primary school classes enter free; other school classes pay €1 per pupil including a guided tour. |
| Seniors | €5Reduced rate for pensioners. |
| Students & apprentices | €5Reduced rate for pupils and students. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €5 per personReduced rate for groups of 10 or more people. |
| Families | €12Family ticket for 2 adults and children. |
| Annual pass (Jahreskarte) | €35 |
| Guided tour fee (plus admission) | €30 |
School classes pay €1 per pupil including a guided tour.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €12 · Family ticket for 2 adults and children. |
Museum education workshops (e.g. marbled endpapers, printing workshops, carnival masks, “Götterbutton” badges) for groups of 6 to 30 people, from preschool age to Grade 12; family ticket €12.
Bruno-Bergner-Straße · 550 m
Within walking distance of the bus stops Bruno-Bergner-Straße (550 m) and Puschkinplatz (700 m), and from Greiz railway station (1 km).
The summer palace is located in the Fürstlich Greizer Park on the bank of the White Elster.
Get directionsThe museum hasn’t published any information on this.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours of the current exhibitions (public dates usually in the afternoon at 15:00); a group tour costs €30 extra on top of admission. Museum education programs for school classes, holiday care groups (Ferienhorte), kindergarten groups, families and tour groups. |
