Opened in 1984 and located in an old semi-detached villa in Frankfurt am Main, the German Architecture Museum is dedicated exclusively to the topic of architecture. At the heart of the building, the "Haus-im-Haus" (house within a house) takes visitors on a fascinating journey over three floors before finally ending at a "prehistoric". The permanent exhibition with models ranging from the primitive hut to the skyscraper offers an insight into mankind's history of buildings and settlements. The museum also hosts a number of special exhibitions throughout the year. Closed on Mondays.
» www.dam-online.de
The museum currently has by far the largest specialist architectural collection in Germany. At present, the archives hold approx. 350,000 architectural drawings by 700 architects, more than 100,000 photographs, 500 models, various plaster-cast reproductions and sculptures, building files and a number of priceless architectural treatises and engravings. Recently, computer animations and printouts have also been added to the collection. The oldest drawings date from the 16th century and the oldest model from the 17th century. The collection focuses on architecture from the 18th to the 21st century.
» www.architekturmuseum.de
Opened in 1995, the Swabian Architecture Museum is a branch of the Architecture Museum of the Munich University of Technology, set in the building where the Buchegger architect family once lived and worked. The historical rooms of this detached two-storey villa with extensive gardens (1900) house temporary exhibitions on important examples of architecture in Swabia and other German regions. Highlights include a collection of approx. 1,000 European prints dating from the 16th to 18th centuries and the former library of Augsburg's planning department with reference works and magazines on art and architecture from the 19th century to early 20th century. Closed on Mondays.
» www.architekturmuseum.de/augsburg
The Weissenhof housing estate is one of the foremost examples of modern architecture. It was built for the exhibition of the German Work Federation in 1927. Under the artistic direction of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 17 architects from five countries created the template for an international-style residential estate for modern city dwellers. Attention was focused on Le Corbusier who worked with Pierre Jeanneret to build two semi-detached "residential machines" that are supported on posts and appear to float above the slope. Since 2006, this building has been home to the Weissenhof museum of architectural history. One half of the building houses an exhibition on the history of the housing estate, while in the other, visitors can walk around the Le Corbusier house and see what it originally looked like in 1927. It represents the whole estate, which consists of 21 houses with 63 apartments. Closed on Mondays, guided tours on request.
» www.weissenhof-museum.de
The Pompejanum stands on the slopes above the River Main in the gardens of Johannisburg Palace in Aschaffenburg. King Ludwig I was so impressed by the excavations in Pompeii (Castor and Pollux' house) that he decided to create the Pompejanum (a reconstructed Roman villa) here. The reconstruction was built by architect Friedrich von Gärtner in 1840-1848 and was designed to offer an insight into the way of life in a typical Roman villa. The magnificent interior frescos and mosaic floors were modelled on classical designs. Visitors can explore the reception and guest rooms, kitchen, dining room, playroom, nursery, bedroom and lady's chamber, all set around two inner courtyards, the atrium with its fountains and the verdant viridarium. The villa also houses a number of portraits, statues and decorative marble pieces. Closed on Mondays, guided tours on request.
» www.aschaffenburg.de
Opened in 2005, the Alexandrowka Museum presents the Russian Colony built in typical Russian style by architect Peter Joseph Lenné. One of Potsdam's UNESCO World Heritage sites, this fascinating legacy consists of 14 houses, an Orthodox Russian chapel and a 2,000m² reconstructed garden. The origins of the site date back to 1826/27, when it was built at the behest of the Prussian king, Friedrich Wilhelm III in honour of the Russian tsar, Alexander I (1777-1825). The little Russian village is dominated by log cabins richly decorated with wood carvings and ornamentation. Those wishing to learn more about the architecture and history of the settlement can visit the museum in house no. 2. Closed on Mondays.
» www.alexandrowka.de
The Erlichthof Settlement in Rietschen is a small yet vibrant museum village consisting of typical log houses, one of the oldest types of housing in Lusatia. In addition to the Erlichthof, a museum farmstead comprising a house, barn, gatehouse and stable, the settlement has 16 other traditional log houses. This fascinating listed group of almost 300-year-old houses, which come from the surrounding villages and had to be moved to make way for a coal mine, have been reconstructed here in their original form. Visitors can watch people weaving or spinning in the hand-weaving workshop, admire the glassware and ceramics, and much more besides. Restricted opening times in January/February, guided tours on request.
» www.erlichthofsiedlung.de
The distinctive silhouette of Marienburg Castle rises up majestically from the gently rolling hills of the idyllic Leine valley, approx. 20 km south of Hannover. The castle was built by the famous architects Conrad Wilhelm Hase (1818-1902) and Edwin Oppler (1831-1880) between 1858 and 1867. It is one of the foremost neo-Gothic architectural monuments in Germany, with an enchanting exterior featuring a number of different styles, a variety of towers and roofing styles, and impressive neo-Gothic sculpture. A guided tour takes visitors through the entrance hall, banqueting hall, dining room, Queen's salon and library, princesses' wing, castle kitchen and chapel, offering an insight into the architecture and history of the Guelph dynasty. Open from end of March to the beginning of November.
» www.schloss-marienburg.de
With its striking tower and castle chapel, this stately Renaissance castle is an important architectural monument, with a history stretching from the 12th to the 20th century. Founded in 1986, the museum is housed in the rooms that were extended by the Lippe Count, Simon VI (1554-1613) in 1584-92. It illustrates the cultural diversity of the Weser region in the 16th and early 17th centuries. The permanent exhibition features more than 600 exhibits showing various aspects of art and culture between the Reformation and the Thirty Years' War. Covering an area of approx. 2,000m², it offers a wide-ranging insight into Renaissance culture, especially in the Weser region. Closed on Mondays – except on public holidays – and on 24, 25 & 31 Dec. and 1 Jan. Guided tours on request.
» www.wrm.lemgo.de
Built under Heinrich III between 1040 and 1050, the Imperial Palace at the foot of Mount Rammelsberg is considered the most important secular architectural monuments of the Salian era. For the rulers of the period, the palace was the pièce de résistance of their empire. They enjoyed staying here, celebrating until well into the night and guiding the fortunes of their large, glorious realm. The prestigious main hall with its unusually intricate window arcades dominated the skyline from its elevated position. In 2000, a new permanent exhibition opened on the ground floor. In addition to a themed introduction to the concept of itinerant imperial rule and the palace's architectural history, it also includes Goslar's famous imperial throne from the late 11th century, as well as a collection of architectural sculpture and fragments dating from the 11th to 16th century. Open all year round, guided tours of the palace are also available.
» www.goslar.de
