The Museum Ulm (Museum der Stadt Ulm), founded in 1924, is a museum for art, archeology, urban and cultural history in

Ulm Ulm () is the sixth-largest city of the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with around 129,000 inhabitants, it is Germany's 60th-largest city. Ulm is located on the eastern edges of the Swabian Jura mountain range, on the up ...

, Germany. Exhibits range from prehistoric and early archaeological finds of the Ulm region (including the

lion-man The figurine, also called the Lion-man of , is a prehistoric ivory sculpture discovered in Hohlenstein-Stadel, a German cave, part of the Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura UNESCO World Heritage Site, in 1939. The German name, , meaning ...

statuette) to Late (International) Gothic and

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

paintings and sculptures made in Ulm and

Upper Swabia Upper Swabia ( or ) is a region in Germany in the federal states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.''Brockhaus Enzyklopädie.'' 19. Auflage. Band 16, 1991, p. 72. The name refers to the area between the Swabian Jura, Lake Con ...

. Collections of 16th-to-19th-century artisan works by Ulm's handicraft guilds are also presented. Conservator and university professor Julius Baum became the museum’s founding director and its first art historian on 1 April 1924. According to his successor Erwin Treu, "this started the real history" as "an institute emerged from a junk room".

Exhibits

Prehistory

The museum's permanent archaeological exhibition was redesigned in 2014 after further fragments of a 35,000 to 41,000-year-old mammoth ivory sculpture were recovered at the original site in the Lone Valley. This

figurine is a human with the head and the limbs of a lion. In an extremely complex restoration process in 2012/13, the figurine was completely re-assembled from over 300 fragments and has since revealed new details. In addition to the lion-man from the

Hohlenstein-Stadel Hohlenstein-Stadel is a cave located in the Hohlenstein cliff (not to be confused with the Hohle Fels) at the southern rim of the Lonetal (valley of the Lone) in the Swabian Jura in Germany. While first excavations were started after the second ...

cave, the prehistoric environment of the

Swabian Jura The Swabian Jura ( , more rarely ), sometimes also named Swabian Alps in English, is a mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, extending from southwest to northeast and in width. It is named after the region of Swabia. It is part of th ...

mountains is also documented. Numerous exhibits from the

Upper Paleolithic The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. Very broadly, it dates to between 50,000 and 12,000 years ago (the beginning of the Holocene), according to some theories ...

to the

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

period, including the finds from the neighboring

Bockstein Cave The Bockstein Cave, is part of the ''Bockstein complex'' – a White Jurassic limestone rock massif. The rock shelter, among small peripheral caves is situated around above the Lone River valley bottom, north of the towns of Rammingen and Öl ...

are shown. There is, above all, the exhibit of a

Neanderthal Neanderthals ( ; ''Homo neanderthalensis'' or sometimes ''H. sapiens neanderthalensis'') are an extinction, extinct group of archaic humans who inhabited Europe and Western and Central Asia during the Middle Pleistocene, Middle to Late Plei ...

thigh bone, the only substantial piece of evidence of this species ever found in

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million i ...

. Also on display are the artefacts of

Mesolithic The Mesolithic (Ancient Greek language, Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic i ...

burials of the Bockstein Cave and the Hohlenstein-Stadel.

Middle Ages and modernity

Many works of important representatives of the Late Gothic Ulm School are presented in the museum. A chronology of the region's International Gothic period has been demonstrated, supported by valuable exhibits beginning with Meister Hartmann and

Hans Multscher Hans Multscher (ca. 1400–1467) was a German sculptor and painter. Multscher was born in Reichenhofen (today Leutkirch im Allgäu). He made himself acquainted with new artistic styles from northern France and the Netherlands, and became a free ...

to Martin Schaffner,

Michel Erhart Michel Erhart ( 1440 to 1445 – after 1522, Ulm) was a German late Gothic sculptor who lived and worked in Ulm. Life Erhart spent his journeyman years in various regions including Konstanz and the Netherlands before finally settling in Ulm ...

, Hans Schüchlin,

Jörg Stocker Jörg Stocker (c. 1461 – after 1527) was a German painter. Further reading * Janez Höfler.Stocker, Jörg. In Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online, (accessed January 1, 2012; subscription required). * Gerhard Weiland: "Die Ulmer Künstler ...

, Niklaus Weckmann,

Bartholomäus Zeitblom Bartholomäus Zeitblom (c. 1450 – c. 1519) was a German painter, the chief master of the school of Ulm, where he is on official record from 1482 to 1518. Biography He was born in Nordlingen and was the pupil and son-in-law of Hans Schüc ...

to Daniel Mauch. The Late Gothic cultural landscape of

and the

Allgäu The Allgäu (Standard ) is a region in Swabia in southern Germany. It covers the south of Bavarian Swabia, southeastern Baden-Württemberg, and parts of Austria. The region stretches from the pre-alpine lands up to the Alps. The main rivers flo ...

is illustrated by the works of Bernhard Strigel and others, which allows valuable direct style studies and comparisons. Representative works of artists of the 20th and 21st centuries also belong to the Ulm collection, among them

Paul Klee Paul Klee (; 18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss-born German artist. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. Klee was a natural draftsman who experimented wi ...

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (6 May 1880 – 15 June 1938) was a German Expressionism, expressionist Painting, painter and printmaker and one of the founders of the artists group Die Brücke or "The Bridge", a key group leading to the foundation of Expr ...

August Macke August Robert Ludwig Macke (3 January 1887 – 26 September 1914) was a German Expressionist painter. He was one of the leading members of the German Expressionist group Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider). He lived during a particularly activ ...

and

Franz Marc Franz Moritz Wilhelm Marc (8 February 1880 – 4 March 1916) was a German painter and printmaking, printmaker, one of the key figures of German Expressionism. He was a founding member of ''Der Blaue Reiter'' (The Blue Rider), a journal whose ...

. A highlight is the superb international Kurt Fried Collection. Amongst publisher Kurt Fried's 1959 to 1981 private collection the visitor will find works by

Frank Stella Frank Philip Stella (May 12, 1936 – May 4, 2024) was an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker, noted for his work in the areas of minimalism and post-painterly abstraction. He lived and worked in New York City for much of his career befor ...

Mark Rothko Mark Rothko ( ; Markus Yakovlevich Rothkowitz until 1940; September 25, 1903February 25, 1970) was an American abstract art, abstract painter. He is best known for his color field paintings that depicted irregular and painterly rectangular reg ...

Roy Lichtenstein Roy Fox Lichtenstein ( ; October27, 1923September29, 1997) was an American pop artist. He rose to prominence in the 1960s through pieces which were inspired by popular advertising and the comic book style. Much of his work explores the relations ...

Günther Uecker Günther Uecker (; 13 March 1930 – 10 June 2025) was a German painter, sculptor, op artist, and installation artist. He became known primarily for his nail reliefs. In 1961, Uecker joined the Zero (art), ZERO group. Early life and education ...

Yves Klein Yves Klein (; 28 April 1928 – 6 June 1962) was a French artist and an important figure in post-war European art. He was a leading member of the French artistic movement of Nouveau réalisme founded in 1960 by art critic Pierre Restany. Klein wa ...

Daniel Spoerri Daniel Spoerri (; 27 March 1930 – 6 November 2024) was a Romanian-born Swiss visual artist and writer. He is considered to be an important figure among the artists within the so-called "second wave" of the Pop art movement. Spoerri is best kno ...

Josef Albers Josef Albers ( , , ; March 19, 1888March 25, 1976) was a German-born American artist and Visual arts education, educator who is considered one of the most influential 20th-century art teachers in the United States. Born in 1888 in Bottrop, Westp ...

Max Bill Max Bill (22 December 1908 – 9 December 1994) was a Swiss architect, artist, painter, typeface designer, industrial designer and graphic designer. Early life and education Bill was born in Winterthur. After an apprenticeship as a silversmit ...

and

Gerhard Richter Gerhard Richter (; born 9 February 1932) is a German visual artist. Richter has produced Abstract art, abstract as well as photorealistic paintings, photographs and Glass art, glass pieces. He is widely regarded as one of the most important con ...

. The museum presents a variety of exhibitions in order to make the complicated relations among Ulm's Late Gothic artists come to light. The focus of research is on the Ulm families of artists around

Jörg Syrlin the Elder Jörg Syrlin the Elder (c. 1425 in Ulm – 1491 in Ulm) was a German sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented ...

Jörg Syrlin the Younger Jörg Syrlin the Younger (c.1455–1521) was a German sculptor. He was born in Ulm, the son of Jörg Syrlin the Elder Jörg Syrlin the Elder (c. 1425 in Ulm – 1491 in Ulm) was a German sculptor Sculpture is the branch of ...

Gregor Erhart Gregor Erhart (c. 1470? – 1540) was a German sculptor who was born at Ulm, the son of sculptor Michel Erhart. Gregor spent his working career at Augsburg, where he was made master in 1496, and where he died. Attributions of sculpture to his wor ...

and Daniel Mauch. Since 14 November 1999 there has been a new presentation in the extension building on the subject of European and American Art after 1945. In addition, 20th-century graphic art and modernity are presented in temporary exhibitions. In November 2024, the museum announced that it would return five objects acquired from art dealer Siegfried Lämmle in 1936 and 1937, although the pieces will remain in the museum. The objects had been acquired after the Nazis forced him to close his art shop in Munich. Follow three years of research by the

Koordinierungsstelle für Kulturgutverluste The Koordinierungsstelle für Kulturgutverluste (English: "Coordination Center for Lost Cultural Assets"), also known as the ''Koordinierungsstelle Magdeburg'' (English: "Magdeburg Coordination Center"), is an institution of the German federal and ...

(Coordination Center for Lost Cultural Assets), it was found that the objects were acquired by the museum at prices well below what Lämmle would have accepted under normal circumstances. Nearly 32,000 further pages of letters detailing sale prices during the Nazi era are being digitized and scrutinized.

Galleries

Associated groups

The Friends of the Ulm Museum () was founded in 1982 in Ulm. Its members support the particular concerns of the Ulm Museum and promote its scientific work.

Special exhibitions

A selection of the important exhibitions at the museum: * 1995: Der

Löwenmensch The figurine, also called the Lion-man of , is a prehistoric ivory sculpture discovered in Hohlenstein-Stadel, a German cave, part of the Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura UNESCO World Heritage Site, in 1939. The German name, , meaning ...

. Der gegenläufige Spannungsbogen von gestern und heute: der Löwenmensch, 32.000 Jahre zurück: zur neuesten Technologie: das Jüngste und das Älteste. In Zusammenarbeit mit dem Museum für Moderne Kunst München, 20. Januar – 5. März * 2003: ''Tamara Grcic – Videos, Filme, Installationen,'' 20. Juli – 28. September * 2003: ''Ulmer Bürgerinnen & Söflinger Klosterfrauen,'' 30. August – 23. November * 2004: ''

Carol Rama Carol Rama (born Olga Carolina Rama; 17 April 1918 – 25 September 2015) was an Italian self-taught artist. Her painting encompassed an erotic, and sexual identity with specific references to female sensuality. She began to paint around the m ...

– Appassionata'', 12. September – 14. November * 2004: ''

Arno Schmidt Arno Schmidt (; 18 January 1914 – 3 June 1979) was a German author and translator. He is little known outside of German-speaking areas, in part because his works present a formidable challenge to translators. Although not among Germany's mo ...

, Vier mal Vier – Fotografien aus Bargfeld,'' 4. Dezember 2004 bis 30. Januar 2005 * 2005: ''

Emil Nolde Emil Nolde (born Hans Emil Hansen; 7 August 1867 – 13 April 1956) was a German painter and printmaker. He was one of the first Expressionists, a member of Die Brücke, and was one of the first oil painting and watercolor painters of the early ...

, Blickkontakte, frühe Portraits,'' 2. April – 15. August * 2005: ''

Leiko Ikemura is a Japanese-Swiss artist who works in a variety of mediums, including oil painting, sculpture, and watercolor. She divides her time between Cologne and Berlin, teaching painting at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin. Active on the internat ...

, Skulptur-Malerei-Zeichnung,'' 12. Februar – 24. April * 2006: ''

Charlotte Salomon Charlotte Salomon (16 April 1917 – 10 October 1943) was a German-Jewish artist born in Berlin. She is primarily remembered as the creator of an autobiographical series of paintings ''Leben? oder Theater?: Ein Singspiel'' (Life? or Theater?: A ...

, Leben? Oder Theater?'' In Zusammenarbeit mit dem

Joods Historisch Museum The (; ), part of the Jewish Cultural Quarter, is a museum in Amsterdam dedicated to Jewish history, culture and religion, in the Netherlands and worldwide. It is the only museum in the Netherlands dedicated to Jewish history. History The Jood ...

, Amsterdam, (Stationen: 16. März – 3. Juni 2007 Taxispalais, Innsbruck; 22. Oktober 2006 bis 11. Februar 2007 Ulmer Museum; 12. Oktober 2005 bis 15. Januar 2006

Sprengel Museum Sprengel Museum is a museum of modern art in Hanover, Lower Saxony, holding one of the most significant collections of modern art in Germany. It is located in a building situated adjacent to the Masch Lake () approximately south of the state m ...

, Hannover; 11. März 2005 bis 16. Mai 2005 Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz; 18. Juni – 22. August 2004 Das Städel, Frankfurt) * 2006: ''Karin Kneffel'', ''Verführung und Distanz // Seduction and Distance, (Stationen: Mönchehaus Museum, Goslar, Museum Sinclair-Haus, Bad Homburg)'' * 2007: ''Die Kunst- und Wunderkammer des Christoph Weickmann, Reflektionen über eine Sammlung,'' 17. Februar – 29. April 2007 * 2008: ''Michaela Melián: Speicher,'' 19. April – 22. Juni 2008 * 2009: ''Kosmos und Marionette.

und die Romantik,'' 8. März – 17. Mai 2009 * 2011: ''Die Weissenhofer: Radical Research – Die Wurzeln der Wissenschaft,'' 3. April – 29. Mai 2011 * 2015: '' MACK. Das Licht meiner Farben,'' 11. September 2015 bis 10. Januar 2016 * 2017: ''

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...

– Fantasien werden niemals alt,'' 20. Mai – 17. September 2017 * 2017: ''Erwarten Sie Wunder! Das Museum als Kuriositätenkabinett und

Wunderkammer Cabinets of curiosities ( and ), also known as wonder-rooms ( ), were encyclopedic collections of objects whose categorical boundaries were, in Renaissance Europe, yet to be defined. Although more rudimentary collections had preceded them, t ...

,'' 20. Mai – 15. Oktober 2017

References

{{authority control 1924 establishments in Germany History museums in Germany Archaeological museums in Germany Art museums and galleries established in 1924 Tourist attractions in Baden-Württemberg Museums in Baden-Württemberg Organisations based in Ulm