Wenzel-Hablik-Museum
Museum devoted to the painter, designer and architectural visionary Wenzel Hablik in Itzehoe – closed for renovation and extension, expected to reopen in 2027.
About the museum
Wenzel Hablik (1881–1934) came from Brüx in Bohemia, first trained as a cabinetmaker and then studied in Teplitz, Vienna and Prague. In 1907, he came to Itzehoe, where he lived until his death. He painted seas, coasts and mountains, created cycles of etchings, furniture and colorful interior designs, and designed utopian crystal architecture that made him part of the "Gläserne Kette" (Glass Chain) circle around Bruno Taut. Together with his wife, the weaver Elisabeth Lindemann, he ran a hand-weaving workshop.
In 1985, the artist's daughters handed over his estate to a newly established foundation, which initially worked from his former home and studio on Talstraße. Since there were no suitable exhibition rooms there, the town of Itzehoe made its exhibition building available: since 1995, the museum has been housed in a listed merchant's house on Reichenstraße.
The foundation holds the most extensive collection of Hablik's works. The permanent exhibition showed paintings, prints, furniture ensembles, decorative arts, Hablik's crystal and shell collection and textiles from the Hablik-Lindemann hand-weaving workshop, along with special exhibitions on art, architecture and design.
The museum has been closed since November 2024. The town of Itzehoe is having the old building completely renovated and is adding a modern pavilion designed by Andreas Heller Architects & Designers, which will provide additional space for exhibitions and education. The reopening is planned for 2027.
Highlights
- Utopian crystal architecture and etching cycles such as "Schaffende Kräfte"
- Hablik's paintings of the sea and mountains
- The artist's furniture ensembles and interior designs
- Textiles from the Hablik-Lindemann hand-weaving workshop
- Hablik's crystal and shell collection
Permanent exhibitions
- Wenzel Hablik – Querschnitt durch das Gesamtwerk – Paintings, prints, furniture, decorative arts and woven works from every area of Hablik's output; to be presented in a new design after the reopening in 2027.
- Founded
- 1995
- Operated by
- Wenzel-Hablik-Stiftung
- Director
- Dr. Axel Feuß
Admission & discounts
| Children & teens | –Before the closure, children up to 14 and school classes were admitted free. |
|---|
Admission prices after the reopening have not yet been published. Most recently: adults €6, reduced €4, children up to 14 and school classes free.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- 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
The lowered exhibition level in the extension will be reachable via an open staircase or an elevator. Specific information for the reopened museum is not yet available.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Rathaus
Itzehoe station (Hamburg–Westerland line), approx. 10-minute walk; central bus station (ZOB) approx. 5 minutes; city bus, e.g., lines 1, 5, 8 to the Rathaus stop.
By car
Parking available
Public parking on Reichenstraße or at the town hall (with parking disc, max. 2 hours); also the Malzmüllerwiesen/Schumacherallee parking lot, about a 3-minute walk, also for coaches.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
Museum shop currently in the Hablik Lounge (postcards, books, reprints of Hablik etchings).
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
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| Good to know | During the closure, the museum comes to schools: programs lasting two class periods with a theory and a hands-on part (register at least three weeks in advance). Art consultations and talks in the Hablik Lounge or the storage facility according to the program. |
