Located in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage city, right next to the cathedral, the Bamberg Historical Museum invites you to experience history in new and engaging ways. Important works of art and cultural heritage are not only preserved and researched here, but also brought to life.

As a place of knowledge and critical reflection, the museum connects past, present, and future – and is open to everyone. A particular focus lies on its wide range of educational programmes, offering children and young people an engaging and age-appropriate introduction to history and art.

Current exhibitions

Mighty Walls. The Old Court of Bamberg

26 March – 1 November 2026
The Old Court (Alte Hofhaltung) has stood on Bamberg’s Cathedral Hill for more than 1,000 years. Situated between the cathedral and the New Residence, it appears today as a complex ensemble of architectural styles and historical layers. Behind this diversity lies a place that once formed the political and ecclesiastical centre of power in the city.

Over the centuries, both the appearance and function of the Old Court changed significantly. Its layered architectural history reflects power and representation, but also everyday life, crises, and transformation. This exhibition invites visitors to discover the traces of the past embedded in its walls.

A walk through images | Paintings tell stories

26 March – 1 November 2026
“The street leads the flâneur into a vanished time.” Inspired by Walter Benjamin, this exhibition invites visitors to wander through the museum’s painting collection. Some works tell stories, others conceal them or encourage us to rethink and reimagine our own narratives. Walking through the gallery together opens up new perspectives.

A new era begins | The Bamberg bourgeoisie between Romanticism and the Gründerzeit

26 March – 1 November 2026
This exhibition explores the civic engagement of Bamberg’s bourgeoisie, their commitment to the welfare of the city, and changing artistic tastes. Portraits present key figures of the local bourgeois society. Particularly significant are artefacts from the Schmidt Porcelain Painting Institute in Bamberg, which are of national importance.

Jews in Bamberg

26 March – 1 November 2026
Using a contemporary approach, this exhibition traces the presence of Jewish communities in Franconia since the Middle Ages. Based on historical sources, eyewitness accounts, and a wide range of artefacts and everyday objects, it tells a multifaceted story of Jewish life in Bamberg – its continuity, disruption, and renewal.

Time and Space | Astronomy and Time Measurement

26 March – 1 November 2026
For thousands of years, astronomers have observed the skies, studying the movement of stars and planets. But which instruments were used to measure and understand these phenomena? This exhibition presents remarkably precise historical observation instruments, surveying tools, and solar and mechanical clocks from the 16th to 18th centuries.

E.T.A. Hoffmann Dance Hall

29 April – 1 November 2026
“250 years of the most exalted mood!” In the anniversary year of the multi-talented artist, the E.T.A. Hoffmann Dance Hall presents unique artworks from Hoffmann’s fantastic world. Under the theme “Boundaries of the Real”, 1960s Pop Art meets works by recipients of the Bamberg Art Association’s award, as well as the famous Apple Woman (Apfelweibla).

A Hoffmann-inspired event series featuring readings, live music, lectures, workshops, and film screenings further explores the artist’s imaginative world between fantasy and reality. Up-to-date information on the programme can be found on our website and social media channels.

Fire. Colour. Light | Enamel Worlds by Nora Kovats

Intervention in A walk through images, 10 July – 1 November 2026
The artistic technique of enamelling combines glass and metal: powdered glass is fired onto metal at high temperatures, creating luminous, vividly coloured surfaces. As an intervention in the painting gallery, Nora Kovats presents an imaginary enchanted garden made of enamel, ink, and precious metals – a botanical-inspired visual world between close observation of nature and imagination, material experimentation, and poetic storytelling.

Opening times

Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays | 11 am – 5 pm

Prices & admission

Admission is €8 for adults. Reduced admission (€7 or €4) is available for groups of 10 or more, seniors (65+), students (19+), visitors with severe disabilities (including a free accompanying person), and holders of the Volunteer Card.

Children and young people up to 18 years enjoy free admission, as do several groups including BambergCard holders, selected students (art history, heritage conservation, archaeology, European ethnology), ICOM card holders, members of major professional and museum associations, accredited journalists, and accompanying persons of visitors marked with disability level “B”.

A last-minute ticket is available from 4 p.m. at half price.

Contact

Alte Hofhaltung
Domplatz 7
96049 Bamberg

Tel. +49 (0) 951 87 11 40 | Ticket desk
Tel. +49 (0) 951 87 11 47 | Information

museum@stadt.bamberg.de
info.museen@stadt.bamberg.de

The Villa Dessauer was built in 1884 on the edge of town in the Haingebiet district for the Jewish hop merchant Carl Emanuel Dessauer. Today, the building houses Bamberg’s municipal gallery for contemporary art.

Since 1987, Villa Dessauer has regularly hosted temporary exhibitions featuring works by regional and international artists as well as photographers from the 20th and 21st centuries. The programme is complemented by lectures and musical events, making the villa a vibrant venue for contemporary art and culture.

Current exhibitions

Transparency | Annual Exhibition of the Professional Association of Visual Artists Upper Franconia (BBK Ofr.)
3 April – 17 May 2026

Sophia Süssmilch & Cathrin Hoffmann | Exhibition of the Bamberg Art Association
13 June – 26 July 2026

Lichtakkord | Andreas Herzau photographs the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra
2 October 2026 – 28 February 2027

The photographer Andreas Herzau (1962–2024) followed the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra over several years – both in Bamberg and on international concert tours – capturing striking insights into the life of an orchestra of global standing. His images are distinguished by unusual perspectives, a play with sharpness and blur, and the interplay between colour and black-and-white photography.

At Villa Dessauer, the exhibition presents works by Herzau from the collection of the F.C. Gundlach Foundation, complemented by interview stations and additional series of works. Accompanied by the music of the Symphony Orchestra, the exhibition creates an immersive, multi-sensory experience for visitors.

Opening times

Thursday to Sunday and on public holidays | 12 pm – 6 pm

Prices & admission

Admission is €6 for adults. Reduced admission (€5 or €3) is available for groups of 10 or more, seniors (65+), students (19+), visitors with severe disabilities (including a free accompanying person), and holders of the Volunteer Card.

Children and young people up to 18 years enjoy free admission, as do several groups including BambergCard holders, selected students (art history, heritage conservation, archaeology, European ethnology), ICOM card holders, members of major professional and museum associations, accredited journalists, and accompanying persons of visitors marked with disability level “B”.

Contact

Hainstr. 4a
96047 Bamberg

Tel. +49 (0) 951 87 18 61 | Ticket desk
Tel. +49 (0) 951 87 11 47 | Information

museum@stadt.bamberg.de
info.museen@stadt.bamberg.de

The Ludwig Collection Bamberg features an outstanding collection of precious porcelain and faience of European significance. For many years, the Old Town Hall served as its home; however, the iconic building is currently undergoing extensive renovation.

Until 21 June 2026, a small selection of these valuable porcelain and faience pieces will be on display at the New Residence under the title "Courtly Encounters".

E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776–1822) was a writer, composer, draughtsman, caricaturist, and trained lawyer. He is widely regarded as the most important storyteller of German Romanticism. The E.T.A. Hoffmann House in Bamberg is the only museum in the world dedicated to this multi-talented artist.

The house at today’s Schillerplatz 26, where Hoffmann lived from 1809 to 1813, is the only surviving residence of the artist, who lived in many different cities throughout his life. The continuing national and international reception of Hoffmann’s work makes the E.T.A. Hoffmann House a site of outstanding significance in world literature.

Looking ahead: following its renovation, the E.T.A. Hoffmann House will reopen in 2028, offering fascinating insights into the life and work of the renowned writer and composer.

Exhibition: E.T.A. Hoffmann Dance Hall

29 April – 1 November 2026

“250 years of the most exalted mood!” In the anniversary year of this multi-talented artist, the E.T.A. Hoffmann Dance Hall at the Historical Museum presents unique artworks inspired by Hoffmann’s fantastical world.