Mercateum
Walk-in giant globe bearing the world map of 1529, with an exhibition on the long-distance trade of Swabian merchants; open Sundays from May to October.
Over het museum
The Mercateum goes back to cultural scholar Wolfgang Knabe, who, with the Mercator research group, retraced the historic trade routes of Augsburg and Nuremberg merchants on several overland and sea expeditions. The globe was first presented in Munich in 2005 to mark 500 years of trade with India; funded by the Bavarian State Chancellery and the town of Königsbrunn, it has stood on Alter Postweg in Königsbrunn as a publicly accessible museum since 2008.
The building itself is the main exhibit: a sphere made of a wood and steel structure with a two-layer, air-supported membrane shell. Across some 452 square meters it bears the world map drawn by the Spanish cosmographer Diego Ribero in 1529, enlarged about 260 times so that countless place names and details become visible. In 2026 the globe received a new outer shell and was closed until July for the work.
Inside, an exhibition on five staggered levels tells the story of the India trade and how Swabian trading houses maintained branches in America, Africa and Asia in the 16th century. Exhibits include replicas of trade goods from a Portuguese East Indiaman that sank in 1533, whose wreck was discovered off the coast of Namibia in 2008. Since 2008 the supporting association has also awarded the Mercateum Prize for research on historic long-distance trade routes.
Hoogtepunten
- Walk-in globe with Diego Ribero's world map (1529)
- Map printed on around 452 m² of membrane shell
- Exhibition on the global trade of Swabian merchants in the 16th century
- Replica cargo of a Portuguese East Indiaman from 1533
- Guided tours by a volunteer museum team
Vaste collectie
- Abenteuer Welthandel – Written and pictorial documents on five levels inside the globe show how Swabian merchants entered the India trade in the 16th century and established trading relationships around the world.
- Opgericht
- 2005
- Beheerder
- Mercator-Forschungsgruppe e.V.
- Directie
- Wolfgang Knabe
Toegangsprijzen & kortingen
| Volwassenen | € 5 |
|---|---|
| Kinderen & jongeren | € 3gratis t/m 7 jaar · Children under 8 free (also with guided tour), €3 from age 8 |
| Senioren | –No senior discount listed |
| Groepen | –Special guided tours and school classes: price on request from the Kulturbüro (cultural office) of the town of Königsbrunn |
| Admission and guided tour, adults | € 8 |
| Admission and guided tour, children aged 8 and over | € 4 |
Toegankelijkheid
- Rolstoeltoegankelijk: geen informatie
- Lift: geen informatie
- Aangepast toilet: geen informatie
- Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
- Hulphonden welkom: geen informatie
- Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
- Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
- Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
- Audiodescriptie: geen informatie
Exhibition on five staggered levels; no information on accessibility available.
Kinderen & gezin
Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd – vraag het rechtstreeks na bij het museum.
Bereikbaarheid & parkeren
Met het openbaar vervoer
Königsbrunn Zentrum
Tram line 3 from Augsburg Hauptbahnhof to the terminus Königsbrunn Zentrum, also AVV regional buses; from there just a few steps.
Met de auto
Parkeerplaats aanwezig
Parking at the end of Alter Postweg on the right-hand side.
Service & horeca
Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd – vraag het rechtstreeks na bij het museum.
Evenementen & zaalverhuur
Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd – vraag het rechtstreeks na bij het museum.
Je bezoek plannen
| Rondleidingen | ja · duur ca. 75 min. |
|---|---|
| Aanbod voor scholen | ja |
| Goed om te weten | Public guided tour on opening days at 14:30 (approx. 75 min.). Special tours and school class tours by appointment via the Kulturbüro Königsbrunn (phone +49 8231 606260, kulturbuero@koenigsbrunn.de). Run by a volunteer team. |
