Stadtmuseum Meißen

The Stadtmuseum Meißen stands in the old town near Heinrichsplatz. It occupies the Neogothic House, the cloister and the former church of St Peter and Paul from the Franciscan monastery. The museum also used to run the gatehouse on Domplatz until 2012. Its displays cover Meissen’s trade, legal and art history, with a strong focus on local pottery and porcelain. Important additions came in the 1930s from the Max Andrä-Seebschütz prehistoric collection and later from Otto Horn’s medieval and modern sacred sculptures. The museum is worth a visit for its permanent exhibitions and changing shows. ‘Meissen as the Cradle of Saxony’ traces the city’s early role. The cloister holds historic tombstones from four centuries. Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld’s original Nibelungen drawings fill the former church. A former display showed Ludwig Richter’s small-town scenes from the 19th century. Guided tours and depot visits in the Red School add depth to the visit. Visitors find well-lit rooms arranged around the cloister and church. The Neogothic House houses changing exhibitions on themes such as silver mining or local manufacturers. Photographs by Gerhard Weber show faces of Meissen’s craftspeople. Another display looks at Meissen’s clubs and societies between 1735 and 1945. The building’s medieval setting, just a short walk from the Elbe, makes the visit part of a wider exploration of the old town.