Established 1869 (1869) Visitors 200,000 per year | Type Museum Phone +49 6232 13250 | |
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Collection size About 1 million artifacts Address Domplatz 4, 67346 Speyer, Germany Hours Open today · 10AM–6PMSunday10AM–6PMMondayClosedTuesday10AM–6PMWednesday10AM–6PMThursday10AM–6PMFriday10AM–6PMSaturday10AM–6PM Similar Old Gate, Speyer Cathedral, Technik Museum Speyer, Jewish courtyard, Sea Life Speyer Profiles |
The Historical Museum of the Palatinate (German: Historisches Museum der Pfalz) is a museum in the city of Speyer in the Palatinate region of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is situated across the square from the Speyer Cathedral. The museum's focus is on the History of the Palatinate; it has a collection of about 1 million artifacts, the oldest being an approximately 190,000-year-old hand axe. The museum is among the most important in Germany, and is known for its special exhibitions. With over 200,000 visitors per year it is one of the major attractions of Speyer.
Contents
- Historical museum of the palatinate
- Exhibitions
- Special exhibitions
- Permanent exhibitions
- The Young Museum
- The Forum
- References
The museum was established in 1869 and the collections of the Historical Society of the Palatinate, the former Rhine District, and the City of Speyer were combined. The building at the present site was built in 1910 by architect Gabriel von Seidl; a modern annex was added in 1990. The museum is a trust borne by the City of Speyer, the Evangelical Church of the Palatinate, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Speyer, the State of Rhineland-Palatinate, the Historical Society of the Palatinate, and the Bezirksverband Palz (County Association).
Historical museum of the palatinate
Exhibitions
The Museum offers two kinds of exhibitions: permanent and special ones. While the permanent exhibitions focus on the history of the Palatinate, the special ones can have general historical topics.
Special exhibitions
Over 1,000 pieces of silver, bronze, brass and iron (weapons, tools, coins, tableware, kitchenware etc., weighing more than 700 kg, sunk in the waters of the Rhine 1,700 years ago, the largest Roman-era trove of metals found in Europe, dug up in a gravel quarry near Neupotz, 30 km south of Speyer.
Permanent exhibitions
The five permanent exhibitions covering 8,000 m² are: Prehistory, Roman Era, Cathedral Treasure, Modern Era and the Wine Museum.
The Young Museum
The first museum of its kind, it playfully gets children in touch with history. It offers workshops during school holidays and programmes for school classes.
The Forum
The 650 m²-area of covered courtyard offers opportunities for communication, concerts, workshops, theatre, discussions etc.