Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Jülich

The Stadtgeschichtliches Museum stands in Jülich, a town in the Düren district of North Rhine-Westphalia. Housed in the Hexenturm, a medieval town gate, the museum traces the city’s past. The tower once served as a courthouse and prison before Peter Linnartz, a local councillor, proposed converting it into a local history museum. The collection grew from around 400 items in 1902 to over 8,500 by 2001. It includes paintings, archaeological finds, coins, glassware and weapons. The museum’s history reflects Jülich’s turbulent times, from wartime losses to post-war rebuilding. After closure in 2006, key pieces were moved to the Museum Zitadelle. Visitors to the Museum Zitadelle can see works by Johann Wilhelm Schirmer, a painter from Jülich. The exhibition includes items once displayed in the Hexenturm. The setting combines the old town gate’s heritage with the modern addition of the Kulturhaus.