Center for contemporary art in a Baroque administrative building, with changing exhibitions, a sculpture garden, and free admission.
October 4, 2026 – January 17, 2027
Group exhibition of eleven artists who were children around 1989 and explore socialisation in the GDR, family history, identity and origins; conceived as a dialogue between East and West.
November 30, 2025 – January 10, 2027
Sculptures, diaphragms and Fotograttagen by the sculptor Louis Niebuhr, from the collection of the Stiftung der Kreissparkasse Syke and from his estate, spread across three rooms on the ground floor.
The Syker Vorwerk goes back to an estate farm established in 1580 at the Friedeholz in Syke, which supplied the neighboring castle. After the Thirty Years' War the castle fell into ruin, and in 1633 its demolition was ordered.
The present complex took shape in the early 18th century: the Amtshaus (administrative house) in 1728/29, the brewhouse in 1736, and further farm buildings later on, until the complex consisted of eleven buildings by 1764. Around 1790 the arable land was distributed to 44 settlers and the colony of Syke was founded; most agricultural buildings were demolished, while the Amtshaus, the brewhouse, and the coach house survived.
Until 2002, officials used the buildings; then the Diepholz district handed the site over to a non-profit foundation. After renovation, the Zentrum für zeitgenössische Kunst (Center for Contemporary Art) opened in 2007. Each year the house presents several solo and group exhibitions on about 400 square meters, supplemented by sculptures in the two-hectare garden. The foundation also owns a collection that includes works by Louis Niebuhr and around 60 paintings by Hans-Albert Walter.
Admission is free.
Admission to the exhibitions is free. Fees may apply for individual events.
The main entrance and exhibition rooms are step-free. A passenger elevator leads to the upper rooms. An accessible parking space is on Waldstraße. The first-floor WC has grab bars on both sides, a washbasin with knee clearance, and an emergency call button. Seating is available in the exhibitions, and portable museum stools are provided on request. Events in the vaulted cellar are not wheelchair-accessible because of stairs.
Great for kids & families
Children's art club KIKU for ages 7 to 10 and Miniclub for ages 5 to 6 (monthly, in cooperation with the Kunstschule Stuhr art school; register by email or phone). Gender-neutral restroom with a changing table.
Deutsche Eiche · 130 m
Regional Express RE 9 (Osnabrück–Bremen) to Syke station; from there bus 102 or 150 to "Alte Waldstraße", although the stop "Deutsche Eiche" is closer (lines 107, 119, 194, and 186 on weekdays).
Free parking
There are only a few spaces at the house; the parking spaces across the road at the Niedersächsischer Landesforst (Waldstraße 69) are recommended.
Navigation address: Waldstraße 76, 28857 Syke, about 200 m before the town exit toward Schnepke. On foot from Syke station, about 32 minutes.
Get directionsNo café on site; Café Alte Posthalterei is about 1 km away. Coats and bags must be left at the cloakroom.
Up to 30 guests.
Weddings take place on the first floor or in the vaulted cellar, and from May to August also in the garden; a celebration in the foyer or garden lasts about one hour. From €200; dates must be arranged with the Syke registry office (Standesamt Syke).
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Private photos are allowed without flash, tripods, or phone holders; publishing photos of copyrighted works on the internet is not permitted. |
| Good to know | Public exhibition tours are listed in the event calendar. Private tours for up to 20 people cost €60 (about 1 hour); prices for school classes and kindergartens are by arrangement. For insurance reasons, animals may not enter the exhibition rooms (assistance dogs excepted). |
