The Museum

Fascinating Stories/Compelling History

The Historical Museum of the Palatinate, along with the Youth Museum are synonymous with interesting exhibitions, fascinating interactive activities, informative knowledge transfer, and entertaining events. Exhibitions of the collection present the history of the region from prehistory through Roman antiquity and on to the present day. 

The Cathedral Treasure exhibition offers comprehensive information about the cathedral and its treasure. It encompasses the most meaningful evidence left by the ruling Salian dynasty, among them the emperor’s crown of Conrad II from 1039. 

The Prehistory exhibition contains exhibits that document the cultural, societal and commercial development of the Palatinate from the first evidence of human presence until the eve of Roman occupation. Besides the most famous exhibit, the “Golden Hat of Schifferstadt”, ornate gold jewelry is featured.

The Roman era exhibition affords insight into the period during which the Romans ruled the area that is today the Palatinate but then belonged to the province of Upper Germania. One particular masterpiece in the collection, stemming from the time of Caesar Augustus (around 10 BC), portrays a centaur’s head from Schwarzenacker.

 The Modern Era exhibition includes information and exhibits from the Renaissance through to the period following the Second World War. The core of the permanent exhibition is represented by the Frankenthaler porcelains, the Baroque paintings, as well as the precious garments from the collection of the Bassermann-Jordan family. The works of the artist, Anselm Feuerbach, who was born in Speyer, are also of high artistic merit.

 The "Wine Museum" collection in the Historical Museum of the Palatinate displays unique exhibits from the world of wine. These objects provide an insight into the cultural history of viniculture and the consumption of wine over a period of 2000 years.

 The presentation of the Evangelical Church of the Palatinate spans an arc of time from before the Reformation through the period of the famous and significant 1529 Reichstag (Imperial Diet) in Speyer and the resulting protests all the way up to the present day. This illustrates the close connection between the development of the Evangelical Church and Palatine history.