Markt 46Stadtmuseum Siegburg is an archaeological, art and cultural-historical museum on the history of Siegburg. It was opened in May 1990 in the former Latin School on the market, the birthplace of the composer Engelbert Humperdinck. On four exhibition levels, the museum documents the city's history from the early days to the present day. In addition to archeology, fossils and the Siegburg Renaissance pottery, exhibitions of contemporary artists are shown. Together with two function rooms for 199 visitors each, the Stadtmuseum Siegburg is a cultural center in the Rhein-Sieg district on the right bank of the Rhine. Since 2014, it has been connected to the Stadtbibliothek Siegburg as an open cultural center through a passage.
The original building was built in 1826 in the classical style for the municipal high school on the preserved basement vaults of the medieval town hall. By 1909, several extensions were made, which adapted in their facade design to the older part of the building. After the Gymnasium had to move for reasons of space in the former teacher training Siegburg, the house was from 1930 initially used as a district court, later as a tax office. The conversion to the museum took place from 1988 to plans of the Siegburger architect Hartmut de Corné. In the fundamental redesign of the entire building, an attempt was made to restore the spatial layout given by the original function as a school and to transfer it into the museum context. For example, a former courtyard was integrated as an event forum by lowering the floor level, and the museum complex was expanded by a temporary exhibition area. Another event hall based on a historical model was built in the former auditorium of the Gymnasium.
Birthplace of Engelbert Humperdinck and Joseph Hermann Mohr
The building of today's Stadtmuseum is the birthplace of Engelbert Humperdinck and Joseph Hermann Mohr. The composer Humperdinck (born September 1, 1854 in Siegburg, † September 27, 1921 in Neustrelitz) was the son of high school teacher Gustav (Ferdinand) Humperdinck and the cantor's daughter Gertrud (Helene Olivia) Hartmann, who lived in the progymnasium a service apartment. Humperdinck achieved worldwide fame through his fairytale opera Hänsel and Gretel. Also as a teacher's son in the Progymnasium to the world came the Jesuit Father Joseph Hermann Mohr (born January 10, 1834 in Siegburg, † February 7, 1892 in Munich). Mohr was a hymnologist, hymn composer and lyricist and earned himself the reform of the German hymn in the time of the Kulturkampf.
Culture house with city museum and city library
The cultural institutions Stadtmuseum and Stadtbibliothek, which until then had been accommodated in neighboring but separate buildings, were united in 2014 as a cultural center by structural measures. As a result, holders of the library card also have free admission to the city museum. Joint events and interlinkages of historical permanent exhibition and subject areas of the city library are intended to promote openness for the visitors of both institutions.