Städtische Sammlungen Sebnitz
Sebnitz local history museum in a Umgebindehaus (traditional Upper Lusatian house) with town history, artificial flowers and a new permanent exhibition between West Africa and Sebnitz.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Sebnitz town history museum was founded by the Gewerbeverein (trade association) of Sebnitz in 1909. Since 1994 it has been based at Hertigswalder Straße 12, a Umgebindehaus from 1731. Today the Städtische Sammlungen hold over 12,000 objects and a museum library with more than 3,000 titles, including records of the town's history of more than 750 years, of living and housing culture, and of Saxon folk art.
The house once displayed, among other things, a weavers' room, the office of an artificial-flower manufacturer, a home-workers' room, and a Baroque and a Biedermeier room. The collection includes the Sebnitz shadow play, works by regional artists, the scholarly estates of Alfred Meiche and Wilhelm Leberecht Götzinger, documents of the Hohnstein puppeteer Max Jacob, and the photo archive of press photographer Siegfried Thomas.
In 2019 the house was closed for comprehensive renovation. For more than five years, lighting, electrical, climate and safety systems were renewed; a new building now connects the local history museum with the neighboring Afrikahaus at Hertigswalder Straße 14, so the two collections are also physically brought together. The first guided walks took place on the Open Monument Day in September 2024, and the buildings reopened on August 24, 2025. The first parts of the new permanent exhibition are devoted to crafts and life between West Africa and Sebnitz; in the Alfred-Meiche-Saal the focus is on the silhouette artist Adolf Tannert.
Highlights
- New permanent exhibition between West Africa and Sebnitz
- Umgebindehaus from 1731
- History of artificial flowers and the Sebnitz shadow play
- Alfred-Meiche-Saal with silhouette cuts by Adolf Tannert
- Museum library with more than 3,000 titles
Permanent exhibitions
- Handwerk und Leben zwischen Westafrika und Sebnitz – The first parts of the new permanent exhibition link Sebnitz crafts and everyday life with the house's Africa collections.
- Stadtgeschichte, Kunstblumen und Wohnkultur – From the holdings of the Städtische Sammlungen: town and domestic history, artificial-flower craft, folk art and shadow play.
- Alfred-Meiche-Saal: Scherenschnitte von Adolf Tannert – A look into the world of silhouette artist Adolf Tannert, where children can also test their steady hand.
- Founded
- 1909
- Operated by
- Stadt Sebnitz
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
Museum education offers for children and young people on request; in the Alfred-Meiche-Saal children can try their hand at paper cutting.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Sebnitz Busbahnhof · 350 m
Bus to the Sebnitz bus station; Sebnitz train station is about 1 km away.
By car
Parking available
Parking directly next to the museum.
Navigation address: Hertigswalder Straße 12–14, 01855 Sebnitz.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Knowledgeable guided tours, including on thematic focuses, by advance registration. The museum library can be used for academic work. |
