Heimatmuseum Kölleda

The Heimatmuseum Kölleda sits in the small Thuringian town of Kölleda on Roßplatz. Housed in a former printing house, the building once belonged to Theodor Böhme, who published the local Anzeiger here until 1945. The museum’s core collections were assembled by Bruno Schwabe, whose early donations of local memorabilia, military relics and natural specimens still form the foundation of the displays. A later move in 1942 brought the institution to this address, and in 1994 it was formally established at Roßplatz 39. The building itself is listed among Kölleda’s protected cultural monuments. Visitors find rooms devoted to the town’s history as a garrison settlement, its peppermint cultivation and the railway line nicknamed the Peppermint Express. Exhibits also cover guilds, courts and the region’s medicinal herbs and stones. A notable feature is the Schwabe bequest, which includes personal papers alongside early acquisitions. The former printer’s workshop preserves an important collection of stove plates, each bearing intricate designs from past centuries. Beyond the displays, the museum garden recreates an 18th-century style. It showcases historic roses, culinary and medicinal herbs, an orchard and a tasting bed for scented plants. Climbing plants cover the walls, and the overall design reflects the botanical interests of the founders. The garden offers a quiet space to see how the region’s flora once shaped daily life and local trades.