Stadtmuseum Hofgeismar

About the museum

The Stadtmuseum Hofgeismar was founded in 1938 as "Städtische Sammlungen für Heimatkunde" (municipal collections for local history) and is the oldest museum in the Kassel district. The reconstruction began in 1977/78; in 1986 the museum found its present home in a complex of buildings on the Petriplatz, whose stables, barns and residential houses date from between about 1500 and 1820/40. The exhibitions are interlinked across several thematically distinct sections.

One focus is regional ceramic history, from prehistory and early history through the Middle Ages to the village potteries; this includes the extensive self-documentation of the ceramicist Rolf Weber from Fuldatal. One section is devoted to the Huguenots and Waldensians in Hesse-Kassel, and another, since 1990, to Jewish culture in Northern Hesse. The museum also commemorates the Bad Hofgeismar spa up to 1866, guilds and associations, and prominent citizens such as the sculptor Wilhelm Hugues.

The house is a research center for the painter Theodor Rocholl (1854–1933), whose roughly 650 originals are shown in changing exhibitions. On the top floor is a section on local biotopes; in the basement, the geology of the region. In 1991 the museum received the promotional prize of the Hessian Cultural Award for its commitment to minorities.

Highlights

• Exhibition on the history of the Huguenots and Waldensians
• Section on Jewish culture in Northern Hesse
• Regional ceramics and the estate of the ceramicist Rolf Weber
• Around 650 works by the painter Theodor Rocholl (in changing exhibitions)
• Free audio guide via your own smartphone

Permanent exhibitions

• Geschichte der Hugenotten und Waldenser – Using original objects, the exhibition shows the persecution, flight and settlement of the religious refugees in Hesse-Kassel, with a rare collection of French Reformed Bibles.
• Jüdische Kultur in Nordhessen – This section presents the Jewish communities around Kassel, their religious life and their persecution; the library and archive are integrated.
• Keramik der Region und Rolf Weber – The pottery in the Reinhardswald and the self-documentation of the ceramicist Rolf Weber are the most material-rich collections in the house.

Founded

1938

Operated by

Stadt Hofgeismar

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free; donations are welcome. Public tours at fixed times are also free of charge.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• 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

Only the ground floor of Haus I is barrier-free; the rooms there are also used for special exhibitions.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum is at Petriplatz 2 in the old town of Hofgeismar.

Amenities & dining

• Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi in all exhibition rooms.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit