Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The museum goes back to an initiative of Leipzig citizens centered on the Verein für die Geschichte Leipzigs (Society for the History of Leipzig), founded in 1867. After various exhibition venues, the collections found a permanent home in 1909 in the Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall) on the market square. The Renaissance building from 1556 is closely associated with Johann Sebastian Bach, who was elected Thomaskantor here in 1723 and took his oath of office.

The museum survived severe war damage as well as political appropriation under two dictatorships. In 2004, the new Haus Böttchergäßchen opened as a center housing special exhibition space, the directorate, collections, library and photo archive; the children's museum is also located there. The museum also includes the Schillerhaus in Gohlis, the Museum Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum, the Völkerschlachtdenkmal (Monument to the Battle of the Nations) with the FORUM 1813 museum, operated by its own foundation since 2012, the Capa-Haus memorial site, the Alte Börse as an event hall, and the sports history collection.

With around 600,000 objects on city and regional history, everyday culture, art and decorative arts, graphic art, music and theater history, numismatics, militaria and archaeology, its collections are among the largest city history holdings in Germany. The permanent exhibition in the Altes Rathaus tells the history of Leipzig from the Middle Ages to the present with nearly 2,000 objects and is free of charge.

Highlights

• Portrait of Bach by Elias Gottlob Haußmann from 1746
• Katharina von Bora's wedding ring from 1525
• Historic banquet hall and council chamber in the Altes Rathaus, with a model of the city
• Dress made of inflation money from the 1920s
• Völkerschlachtdenkmal with viewing platform and FORUM 1813 museum
• Interactive exhibition “Kinder machen Messe” in the children's museum

Permanent exhibitions

• Leipzig Original. Vom Mittelalter bis zur Völkerschlacht – More than 1,100 original objects around the banquet hall and council chamber on the second floor of the Altes Rathaus tell of the trade fair city's heydays and crises.
• Moderne Zeiten. Von der Industrialisierung bis zur Gegenwart – The exhibition on the third floor spans the period from the Revolution of 1848/49 through the Peaceful Revolution of 1989 to the present day.
• Kinder machen Messe – Interactive exhibition in the children's museum where children aged 6 to 10 discover the history of the trade fair city at hands-on stations.

Founded

1909

Operated by

Stadt Leipzig

Director

Dr. Anselm Hartinger

Admission & discounts

Free admission: every 3rd Thursday of the month 14:00–18:00 (Dialog-Donnerstag, Haus Böttchergäßchen)

Prices apply to the special exhibitions in Haus Böttchergäßchen. Free admission to the permanent exhibition in the Altes Rathaus, the children's museum (until the end of 2027), the Museum Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum, the Schillerhaus and the Capa-Haus. Free admission also for members of museum associations, ICOM, the Hieronymus-Lotter-Gesellschaft and the press.

Accessibility

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

Haus Böttchergäßchen has an elevator to all exhibition areas and a wheelchair-accessible restroom in the basement; in the Altes Rathaus the elevator is operated by staff (ring the bell), wheelchair-accessible restroom on the third floor. Accessible parking spaces in front of the Ibis hotels (Reichsstraße 17) or in the Parkhaus am Museumswinkel parking garage. Museum guide in easy-to-understand language, tactile and listening stations, audio description of the city model, guided tours for blind and visually impaired people by appointment. The Schillerhaus and Coffe Baum are not wheelchair-accessible.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

Children's museum "Kinder machen Messe" in the Haus Böttchergäßchen (for children about 6 to 10 years old) with stations for smelling, touching, weighing, and dressing up, plus a craft workshop. In the Old Town Hall, a children's audio guide and "Ronnys Rathaus-Rallye"; also digital offerings such as a quiz and creative box. Children and teenagers up to age 18 have free admission.

Getting there & parking

A few minutes' walk from the main train station.

Amenities & dining

The restaurant "Zum Coffe Baum" is located in the Haus Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Available for rent: the Alte Börse on Naschmarkt (hall for 199 people; concerts, conferences, private and public celebrations) as well as the historic banquet hall and the Grüner Salon in the Altes Rathaus; advice at +49 341 9651400. The Gerda-Taro-Lounge in the Capa-Haus (60 people) is operated by CAPA Culture gGmbH.

Plan your visit