The "crown jewels"
On the first floor of the Museum im Zeughaus you will find the so-called "crown jewels" of the city, which exemplify the history of the city of Wittenberg. These include, for example, a "giant rib" from Frederick the Wise's collection of relics. You can also take a closer look at the Lord Mayor's chain of office. The centerpiece of the crown jewels and the real highlight of the exhibition is the miniature view, created with great attention to detail, which shows the city in 1873. Try to find the subtle differences to today's Wittenberg on the 20 square meter model.
Wittenberg through the centuries
On the second floor of the Museum of City History you will find the permanent exhibition "Wittenberg through the centuries". Experience the history of the town up close with over 400 original exhibits. Travel back to the time before there was a real town in the area and experience the changes through the Middle Ages and early modern times to the here and now. A little tip: In addition to the exhibits in the Museum of City History, you will also find exciting information on the very early history of the region around the Ascanians in the Historical City Information Center in the town hall.
Collection of Julius Riemer
On the second floor, you can admire numerous exhibits from the famous collector Julius Riemer in the permanent exhibition Riemers Welt. Discover exhibits from all over the world in the only permanent ethnological exhibition in Saxony-Anhalt, with a focus on Africa and Oceania. The natural history section is also well worth a visit, as there are not only primates and reptiles on display, but also the skeleton of a giant eel.
Special exhibition
February 28 - June 01, 2025
The exhibition on the work of Thea Schleusner continues. Following the major retrospective, which ran from August 2024 to January 2025 at four locations in Wittenberg, the show now presents the artist's most important works in a condensed form in the special exhibition “Best of Thea Schleusner”. Three rare works complete the show. A private collector is making them available to the public for the first time.
Thea Schleusner, actually Dorothea, was born on April 30, 1879 in Wittenberg as the daughter of the theologian Georg Schleusner. As an artist, she lived through the First World War, the early years of the Weimar Republic and the abrupt end of her art under National Socialism. The National Socialists also condemned and banned her works as “degenerate art”. After the Second World War, when she was over 65 years old, she revived the art she had “lost” during the war and also created new works.
There is no additional entrance fee for the special exhibition.
Special exhibition
November 08, 2024 - November 09, 2025
The exhibition "Jews of the City of Wittenberg in the Third Reich", created by Dr. Ronny Kabus († 2022), is on display in the cloister in front of the monastery church. It opened on November 8, 2024 and will remain open until November 9, 2025.
The panel exhibition provides an impressive insight into the lives of Wittenberg's Jewish citizens during the Nazi era (1933-1945). Contemporary newspaper reports, documents and photographs document the persecution, expulsion and extermination. Organized chronologically and thematically, the exhibition tells of the dramatic fates of this period.
Dr. Ronny Kabus began his research in the 1980s as a researcher at the Lutherhalle. The first exhibition was based on his archival studies. He continued his research until his death in 2022. The exhibition was later revised and presented in the Municipal Collections. It can now be seen again in its latest version - in the cloister behind the Council Archives and in front of the Franciscan monastery church.
