Stadtmuseum Paderborn

The Stadtmuseum Paderborn stands on the site of the former Abdinghof monastery, a place with roots going back to 1015–16. Its modern building wraps around the old monastery’s surviving cloister and garden, damaged in 1945. The architect Tido Brussig shaped the design to show the city’s growth as a layered house. Five collections now share the space, each telling a different part of Paderborn’s past. The museum opened in October 2017 after years of planning and building. Inside, visitors find models, sound stations and media displays that bring old streets and buildings to life. The ‘Sammlungsspeicher’ holds objects from the 15er Reiter regiment, the Altertumsverein, Fürstenberg-Stiftung Eggeringhausen, the city archive and city archaeology. Seven house types from different centuries stand side by side, including the Renaissance portal of the former Hotel Löffelmann. The cloister itself contains a concise history of Abdinghof monastery. The Open Foyer hosts talks, concerts and theatre alongside changing exhibitions of contemporary art. The City Lab invites visitors of all ages to explore over twelve centuries of local history through hands-on activities. Nearly 1,400 items fill the displays, most shown publicly for the first time. Regular guided tours lead through the exhibits, offering deeper insight into Paderborn’s past and future.