E.T.A. Hoffmann-Haus

The E. T. A. Hoffmann-Haus stands in Bamberg, a city in Upper Franconia. It occupies a narrow house at Schillerplatz 26, where the writer lived from 1809 to 1813. A museum opened here in 1930, created by Hoffmann enthusiasts and supported by local literary circles. In 2020 the city took over its running, and since 2023 the museums department has cared for it. The building includes the main frontage and a rear wing with a garden. The house preserves Hoffmann’s memory through modern displays that mix images, texts and sound. Installations such as the Mirror Cabinet and the Zaubergarten bring his stories to life with plants and quotations. A Paper Theatre recalls the Nutcracker tale, while a rebuilt box shows scenery by Karl Friedrich Schinkel for the opera Undine. Hoffmann’s music can be heard on an interactive commode, and his pianoforte appears in the Poetenstübchen. Visitors find a compact museum spread over several floors. The Poetenstübchen holds the historic piano linked to Hoffmann’s self-portrait as Kapellmeister Kreisler. A lecture room with another piano hosts readings and exhibitions of modern illustrations. The garden and rear building extend the experience, though the house is closed for major renovation until after 2026.