Stadtmuseum Marktoberdorf
The city museum in the Martinsheim shows Marktoberdorf's path from village to town, with Fendt company history and the oldest mechanical nativity scene in Swabia.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Marktoberdorf city museum tells, across about 380 square meters in 18 rooms, how the village of Oberdorf first became a market and then a town. The tour begins with Roman and Alemannic life, passes through the period under the Prince-Bishopric of Augsburg, and reaches into the 20th century.
One focus is the shift from craft to industry. The Fendt family is an example of this: locks, tower clocks, lead-drawing machines and agricultural machinery show the path to industrial production, and a Fendt F 18 from 1947 stands for the new beginning after the war. Further rooms are devoted to art, theater and music, times of crisis, and the working and everyday life of women.
The extensive collection on popular piety includes Schluckbilder (images to be swallowed), votive offerings and Drudensteine (witch stones). The Spöttl nativity is especially popular; it is considered the oldest mechanical nativity scene in Swabia and is traditionally shown during Advent. The Riesengebirgsmuseum is also housed in the same building.
Highlights
- City history from Roman times to the 20th century in 18 rooms
- Fendt history with the Fendt F 18 from 1947
- Spöttl nativity, the oldest mechanical nativity in Swabia
- Collection on popular piety: Schluckbilder, votive offerings, Drudensteine
- Rooms on art, theater, music and women's everyday life
Permanent exhibitions
- Dauerausstellung zur Stadtgeschichte – Across 18 rooms, the tour runs from the Romans and Alemanni through the market town of Oberdorf to industrialization, with a focus on crafts and the Fendt family.
- Sammlung zur Volksfrömmigkeit und Spöttl-Krippe – Schluckbilder, votive offerings and Drudensteine, as well as the mechanical Spöttl nativity, which is traditionally shown during Advent.
- Founded
- 1963
- Operated by
- Stadt Marktoberdorf
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
By public transit
Bahnhof Marktoberdorf · 10-min walk
Within walking distance of Marktoberdorf station.
The museum is in the Martinsheim (Eberle-Kögl-Straße 11), together with the Riesengebirgsmuseum and the Paul-Röder-Museum.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours by telephone appointment (tel. +49 8342 4008-81). |
