Germanisches Nationalmuseum

Museums ·Nuremberg ·Open now
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About

Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg traces German art and culture from prehistory to today, beside the medieval city wall.

More photos 11

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Germanisches Nationalmuseum — Visitors viewing modern art in a red-walled gallery GNM-MA · CC BY-SA 4.0 · edited
Germanisches Nationalmuseum — Visitors viewing modern art in a red-walled galleryGermanisches Nationalmuseum — Historic ceramics displayed in a richly furnished collection roomGermanisches Nationalmuseum — Ornate suit of armor on display in the museumGermanisches Nationalmuseum — Elaborate silver devotional relief in a jeweled frameGermanisches Nationalmuseum — Heart-shaped altarpiece showing biblical scenes and figuresGermanisches Nationalmuseum — Portrait of a long-haired man in a fur-trimmed coatGermanisches Nationalmuseum — Renaissance painting of Cupid and Psyche in a landscapeGermanisches Nationalmuseum — Open illustrated book displayed in a museum caseGermanisches Nationalmuseum — Gilded medieval book cover with figures and decorative panelsGermanisches Nationalmuseum — Medieval illustration of Christ surrounded by symbolic objectsGermanisches Nationalmuseum — Historic Nuremberg feud book page with an illustrated crest

Why go

  • Martin Behaim’s Erdapfel, a world map made before Columbus’s voyage to America, entered UNESCO’s Memory of the World register in 2023.
  • The Saint Gereon fragment, a fragment of the oldest surviving example of its kind in Europe.
  • The left panel of Albrecht Dürer’s portrait diptych of Barbara Holper; its companion panel is in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery.

Opening hours

Today10:00 – 18:00Show all
MondayClosed
Tuesday10:00 – 18:00
Wednesday10:00 – 20:30
Thursday10:00 – 18:00
Friday10:00 – 18:00
Saturday10:00 – 18:00
Sunday10:00 – 18:00

Don't miss

  • GermaniaPhilipp Veit’s painting was exhibited at St Paul’s Church in Frankfurt in 1848.History section
  • Self-Portrait with a GorgetA work by Rembrandt in the museum’s collection.
  • The Victory of CharlemagneA painting by Albrecht Altdorfer from 1518 in the museum’s collection.
  • Judith with the Head of HolofernesA painting by Hans Baldung from 1525 in the museum’s collection.
  • Archangel Raphael and TobiasA work by Veit Stoss in the museum’s collection.

Know before you go

  • Opening hours — Tuesday and Thursday–Sunday: 10:00–18:00; Wednesday: 10:00–20:30.

What's inside

  • Archives and libraries support the museum’s work.
  • A restoration and conservation department and an educational centre form part of the museum.

With kids

  • The Collection of Children’s Toys occupies a separate former St Lorenz parish children’s home, west of the museum’s southwest building.

Interesting facts3

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  1. 25,000 objects

    About 25,000 objects are displayed from holdings of roughly 1.3 million.

    Germanisches Nationalmuseum - Wikipedia
  2. The museum researches its collections and archives, publishing findings in journals and exhibitions.

    Germanisches Nationalmuseum - Wikipedia
  3. It is a public-law foundation supported by Germany, Bavaria and Nuremberg.

    Germanisches Nationalmuseum - Wikipedia

Shorts

History

In 1857, the museum received the remains of the Charterhouse, dissolved in 1525; its buildings became the historic core. Air raids damaged its buildings from 1943 to 1945. Postwar additions included Sep Ruf’s Heussbau and later expansions.

  1. 1525The Nuremberg Charterhouse was dissolved; surviving structures later formed the core of the museum’s historic buildings.
  2. 1852A group led by Franconian baron Hans von und zu Aufsess founded the Germanisches Museum to collect objects documenting German history, literature and art. Its first exhibits were stored in the Tiergärtnertorturm.
  3. 1857The remains of the Charterhouse were given to the museum.
  4. Late 19th c.Neo-Gothic extensions were added to the Charterhouse buildings.
  5. 1871The museum added “national” to its name after the German Empire was established.
Show all
  1. 1921The museum became a public foundation.
  2. First World WarGerman Bestelmeyer designed the Old Entrance and Gallery building.
  3. 1943–1945Air raids heavily damaged the museum buildings, and many plaster casts and period rooms were destroyed.
  4. 1947Part of the art collection returned to renovated rooms. Most collections came back after the war, with losses of about three percent.
  5. 1951The museum displayed a gallery of original art from the Bauhaus era under Ludwig Grote’s postwar leadership.
  6. 1955–1958Sep Ruf’s Heussbau was added and named after Theodor Heuss, West Germany’s first president.
  7. 1983 and 1988–1993The museum was substantially enlarged.

How to get there

  • On footAddress: Kartäusergasse 1, Nuremberg. The entrance opens onto Dani Karavan’s Way of Human Rights.

Sources: Germanisches Nationalmuseum - Wikipedia · Nuremberg - Wikivoyage (see) · Germanisches Nationalmuseum - Wikipedia · Germanisches Nationalmuseum - Wikipedia · checked 29 Sep 2026

Where
Kartaeusergasse 1, Nuremberg
Website
gnm.de/

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

Where was Germanisches Nationalmuseum’s founding decision made?

At a meeting in Dresden, held from 16 to 19 August 1852.

Does Germanisches Nationalmuseum manage other museums?

It also administers the Museum of the Emperor’s Castle at Nuremberg Castle and Neunhof Palace.

What does the castle museum cover?

The castle’s architectural and cultural history.

When did the castle museum open?

In 1999, in the castle’s former Kemenaten.

What was lost in the wartime air raids on Germanisches Nationalmuseum?

Many plaster casts and period rooms were destroyed.

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