Knauf-Museum Iphofen

Thomas E III Lavell 4 years ago

This is a well-financed regional museum (funded by a local "Mittelstand", family-run industrial company), with a permanent exhibition space that includes some worldwide offerings (replicas of ancient Egyptian and Persian reliefs, as well as copies of Roman, Greek and South American items) and a large section for a range of rotating exhibitions. We didn't visit the permanent section, so I'm not sure if other language descriptions are available for that, but the temporary show we did see in autumn 2021 -- an archaeological show on the Germanic Frankish tribe that settled the local area after Roman times -- was in German only. (This is not a criticism -- this town, while pretty and historic, isn't a big site for foreign tourists, so it's probably not worthwhile to devote resources to translations -- if you decide to visit, just enjoy the view of interesting art or cultural pieces). Note that they're on winter break from early November 2021 through late March 2022.

Chandrika Niksch 5 years ago

The international family-owned construction systems behemoth, Knauf, runs this museum which is located in the center of Iphofen. Apart from the permanent exhibits, which display marvels in gypsum (copies of famous ancient heritage pieces from antiquity), the museum also houses special exhibits from time to time. The current one, "Als Franken fränkisch wurde," is an archeological gem on how Franconia came to be. There are several archeological exhibits, especially from Dornheim, showing local history starting the 6th century CE. It takes around two to two and a half hours to get through the Franconia exhibit. Entrance fee EUR 5, including a handheld device that walks you through the entire museum. For those who are interested, there's also an exhibit on precious gems. After the museum, just step out and enjoy a lovely glass of local Iphofen wine at any of the wine bars or restaurants situated along the market square.

Kerstin Blum 5 years ago

The minimalist modern building itself right smack in the center of this idyllic Franconian wine town is amazing. It's perfectly suited for exhibitions. I wdnt to see the exhibition on the Franconian tribes and really loved the varied and well illustrated presentation including informative videos, illustrations, artefacts and models. The audio commentary is exactly right, not too long but informative. Sometimes I would have wished to see illustrations to have an idea how the artefacts were used.

Chandrika Niksch 7 years ago

Small and intimate private museum with both an ongoing exhibit and permanent exhibits. Well-structured and explained. The replicates of exhibits from antiquity are very well done. You can see a lot more here in a safe space than in Egypt or Iraq. Definitely worth a visit. Afterwards, just head into town for a wonderful glass of the local wine and some tasty local sausages. The entire museum is wheelchair accessible.

Alfons J. Quack 8 years ago

It's a nice collection of mostly copies of great antique figurines, statues and reliefs arranged carefully and combined into an very interesting and informative exhibition.