Siebold-Museum

The Siebold-Museum stands in Würzburg’s Zellerau district, in a Gründerzeit villa once home to the director of the Bürgerbräu brewery. The building forms part of the protected Bürgerbräu complex, listed in Bavaria’s Denkmalliste. It opened in 1995 through the efforts of the Siebold-Gesellschaft, with support from Würzburg city and sponsors in Germany and Japan. The villa also hosts concerts, symposia and public gatherings, and since 2001 it has housed an original Japanese tea room. Partnerships link the museum with counterparts in Leiden, Nagasaki and Murayama, reflecting its international reach. The museum honours Philipp Franz von Siebold, a Würzburg physician and scholar who studied Japan’s flora, fauna and culture in the 19th century. Exhibits draw on his German and Japanese years, including surgical instruments collected by his relative Carl Caspar von Siebold for the Juliusspital. A growing Japan library of around 18,000 volumes supports research and fills a gap left by the relocation of Würzburg’s Japanology department. Regular special exhibitions explore topics from kimono to Hiroshima, often drawing on loans and new finds. Visitors find two floors of displays tracing the Siebold family’s medical and scholarly legacy. A permanent installation shows Philipp Franz’s journeys and collections, while changing shows present textiles, prints, swords and scientific works. The tea room offers a quiet space to reflect on Japan’s cultural traditions. Outside, the villa’s historic setting and nearby river create a calm atmosphere for a pause before or after exploring the exhibits.