Recent museum history from its closure in 2002 to the present day


After having been run on a voluntary basis for more than 120 years, in 2002 the town council decided that the planning and operation of the new museum should be placed in the hands of a professional curator.

In 2002 the old museum had to be closed due to massive structural problems.

16 May 2003, International Museum Day, saw the founding of the “Friends of the Stadtmuseum Kaufbeuren”. Since then, membership has risen to more than 350, and during the past 10 years the organisation has collected more than 600,000 Euros to support the work of the Stadtmuseum. 

In 2003 the town councilfunded the conversion of a former printing office into a museum repository. The transferral of all the museum’s exhibits to the 600 m2 repository took three years.

In the course of this process, the objects were digitally catalogued and many restoration and conservation measures carried out.  

In 2007 the town council launched a design competition in which architects were invited to submit proposals for a desperately needed extension to the existing building. 

The restoration and extension of the museum building was carried out between 2009 and 2013.

On 7 June 2013 Kaufbeuren’s Stadtmuseum was officially reopened.

In October 2013 the museum was awarded the Bavarian Museum Prize 2013.

 

 

Header: Melanie Gotschke/ Stadtmuseum Kaufbeuren
Photos on the right side: Zooey Braun / Stadtmuseum Kaufbeuren; Drawing on the right side: Atelier Erich Hackel

Blick auf das romanische Kruzifix, davor die Medienstation in der die Restaurierung erklärt wird

The restored Romanic crucifix and media station.

Blick in den Ausstellungsraum der Hinterglasbilder, an den rosa gestrichenen Wänden hängen, teilweise in Gruppen, Hinterglasbilder

The only collection of Protestant reverse-glass paintings in Bavaria is structured according to themes and presented with concise, explanatory texts in its historical context.

Architekturzeichnung des Ateliers Erich Hackel: Blick in den ersten Raum der Abteilung Typisch Kaufbeuren, in dem die Bikonfessionalität in der Stadt dargestellt ist.

Architectural drawing by Atelier Erich Hackel: View of the first room of Typical Kaufbeuren, in which the bi-confessional status of the town is illuminated.