Bach-Stammhaus

The Bach-Stammhaus is a museum in Wechmar, a village in the German state of Thüringen. It stands on the site of the family home and bakery of Veit Bach, who moved there in 1571. Veit Bach is recognised as the patriarch of the Bach musical dynasty, whose descendants included composers and instrument makers. The building remained a bakery until 1964, when it was restored as a heritage site. The museum opened in 1994 after the façade was renewed in the mid-1980s. The museum displays the Bohlenstube, a wood-panelled room dating from 1585. Inside are period furniture and a cradle that belonged to the Bach family. A courtyard poster shows a family tree with 550 names, including Johann Sebastian Bach. Exhibits also explore the life and work of Georg Valentin Artmann, an 18th-century violin maker in Wechmar. A reconstructed luthier’s workshop illustrates how the craft passed to his son, Georg Nicolaus. Visitors find the original living quarters, the bakery space and the courtyard display. Old tools and furniture bring the 16th and 17th centuries to life. The stately tree in the yard marks the family’s long presence in the village. The small exhibition on local violin making shows how Wechmar contributed to musical craftsmanship. The site offers a quiet insight into the early history of one of music’s most famous families.