Stadtmuseum Halle

About the museum

The Stadtmuseum Halle was created in 1991 by merging two municipal museums: the Kulturhistorisches Museum, which goes back to the local history museum set up in the Christian-Wolff-Haus in 1954, and the Museum für Geschichte, opened in 1986 in the Glaucha district, which mainly documented the labor movement in the former Halle district. Because the combined holdings had large gaps, especially in older objects, the museum has been collecting selectively to fill them ever since.

The main site is the Christian-Wolff-Haus on Große Märkerstraße, formerly the university's "professors' street." The philosopher and mathematician Christian Wolff, a pioneer of the early Enlightenment, lived in this Renaissance house, remodeled in the Baroque style, from 1741 until his death in 1754; stucco ceilings, ceiling paintings, and painted fabric wallpapers have survived. From 1762 the Gebauer family ran a print shop and publishing house here, later "Gebauer-Schwetschke." In 1915 an industrial building of reinforced concrete and clinker brick was built in the courtyard, where printing continued until 1992.

Today the renovated print shop building houses the permanent exhibition "Entdecke Halle!" (Discover Halle!) on two floors, with nine thematic islands covering more than 1,200 years of city history; large special exhibitions are held on the first floor. In the front building, a second permanent exhibition tells of Wolff's work and of social life in the 18th century. The museum also includes the castle ruins of Oberburg Giebichenstein with an interactive exhibition and three towers in the city center: the Roter Turm with Europe's largest tower carillon, the Hausmannstürme of the Marktkirche, and the Leipziger Turm of the medieval city fortifications.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition "Entdecke Halle!" with listening, smelling, and touch stations
• Christian-Wolff-Haus with Baroque furnishings and Wolff's private lecture hall
• Former print shop of 1915 as an industrial monument
• Oberburg Giebichenstein with interactive telescope and listening stations
• Roter Turm with the largest tower carillon in Europe (guided tours only)
• Hausmannstürme with the tower keeper's apartment and panoramic view over the city

Permanent exhibitions

• Entdecke Halle! Die Dauerausstellung zur Stadtgeschichte – Nine thematic islands on 900 m² in the former print shop tell over 1,200 years of city history – from the first settlement to the GDR – with objects to see, hear, smell, and touch.
• Geselligkeit und die Freyheit zu philosophieren – The Christian-Wolff-Haus is devoted to the philosopher Christian Wolff, Halle in the age of the Enlightenment, and social life in the 18th century, including Wolff's private lecture hall.
• Homestory – On the first floor of the print shop, preserved printing presses link the history of the building with its present use as a museum.

Founded

1991

Operated by

Stadt Halle (Saale)

Director

Jane Unger

Admission & discounts

Admission at the main site includes special exhibitions. Free with the Halle-Pass A. If you travel by bus and train (Deutsche Bahn's "mittenrein reisen" network), a DB ticket with a bonus coupon gives €1 off the adult price for up to five people.

Accessibility

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

Main site certified under "Reisen für Alle" (Travel for All): two elevators, two accessible restrooms, display cases that can be rolled under, and plenty of room to move in "Entdecke Halle!"; the first floor of the Christian-Wolff-Haus can only be reached by stairs. Tactile floor guidance system, audio guide with 56 stations for blind and visually impaired people, high-contrast labeling. Media guide in German Sign Language (3 loan tablets), tours with sign language interpretation on selected dates, induction loop at the ticket desk and in the Christian-Wolff-Saal. Folding stools to borrow. Parking space for cars/minibuses in the courtyard by registration. Oberburg and towers are not accessible.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

In "Entdecke Halle!" there is information at children's eye level on rotating "propellers," a collector's booklet with a sticker hunt, and stations for smelling and touching; in the Christian-Wolff-Haus an Actionbound rally leads through the Enlightenment era. Holiday workshops at the museum and at the castle, family afternoons at Oberburg Giebichenstein May–October on the 1st and 3rd Sunday 14:00–17:00, as well as castle festivals on Easter Saturday and in October. Children's birthday parties (ages 6–12) at the museum or the castle from €125 for up to 10 children.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi: not available

Museum shop with its own publications, postcards, and CDs on city history. There is no Wi-Fi in the exhibition.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Rooms from 28 to 118 m² at Große Märkerstraße 10 (including event rooms on the fourth floor of the print shop) as well as the inner courtyard for celebrations, conferences, workshops, and lectures, with a tour on request. Inquiries to vermietung-stadtmuseum@halle.de.

Plan your visit