Stadtmuseum Nördlingen

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The foundation was laid in 1867 by teacher Ludwig Müller, who, commissioned by the city administration, assembled a collection and displayed it as the "Reichsstadtmuseum" in the town hall. In 1914 a separate museum of prehistory and early history was added; it was built up by pharmacist Ernst Frickhinger from his own collection and from his excavations in the Ries.

Soon the rooms in the town hall became too cramped. In 1959 the museum moved into the former municipal hospital in the Spital. The half-timbered building was erected in 1518 as the hospital of the Heilig-Geist-Spital, first mentioned in 1233; its great ward resembles a three-aisled church interior and today serves as an exhibition hall. The house was used as a hospital until 1956.

The route runs from the Old Stone Age through the Bronze Age and Roman times to Nördlingen's rise as a free imperial city with fairs, guilds and courts. A large model with roughly 6,000 tin figures shows the battle of 1634. There are also Old German panel paintings, 19th-century painting and an area on the integration of expellees. The geology department was spun off in 1990 into the neighboring RiesKraterMuseum, with which the museum works closely.

Highlights

• Old German panel paintings by Herlin, Schäufelin and Taig in the 1518 hospital hall
• Model of the 1634 Battle of Nördlingen with roughly 6,000 tin figures
• Mesolithic skull finds from the Ofnet caves and a Bronze Age warrior grave
• 19th-century paintings by the Nördlingen artist families Adam and Voltz
• Joint ticket with the neighboring RiesKraterMuseum

Permanent exhibitions

• Altdeutsche Meister im Spitalsaal – Panel painting by Friedrich Herlin, Hans Schäufelin and Sebastian Taig in the former 1518 hospital ward, largely from Nördlingen churches.
• Frühgeschichte des Rieses – Chronological tour from the Old Stone Age to the Middle Ages, with finds from the Ofnet caves, a warrior grave and a Roman villa.
• Reichsstadt und Schlacht von 1634 – From fairs and guilds to the witch trials, plus a model of the Battle of Nördlingen with roughly 6,000 tin figures.

Founded

1867

Operated by

Stadt Nördlingen

Admission & discounts

One ticket admits you to both the City Museum and the RiesKraterMuseum.

Accessibility

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

The first floor is accessible for wheelchair users. Guide dogs and therapy dogs are permitted in the museum.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Kids’ birthday parties

Family tours and puzzle rallies for children are part of the annual program. A soldier's museum box is available to borrow for families with children aged 7 to 12 (€4 loan fee). The children's birthday party "Journey to the Stone Age" is for up to 8 children aged 8 and up (€75 plus €2 admission per child). With a VR headset, the Nördlingen dungeon can be experienced (children aged 12 and up, registration required).

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café

Small museum café on the first floor, open during opening hours.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit