Museum Georg Schäfer

The Museum Georg Schäfer is Schweinfurt's cultural centrepiece and one of the best art museums in Franconia. It occupies a purpose-built contemporary building designed by Volker Staab (completed 2000) and holds a major collection of 19th-century German paintings — Romanticism, Biedermeier, and Realism. The works of Caspar David Friedrich, Carl Spitzweg, Moritz von Schwind, and Adolph Menzel feature prominently.

The building itself is notable — a clean, light-filled structure that makes intelligent use of natural light for the paintings. The permanent collection is complemented by strong temporary exhibitions. It's particularly appealing on a rainy afternoon; allow two hours for a proper visit. The museum café is decent.

things to do museum
A story
The museum's collection was assembled by Georg Schäfer, a Schweinfurt industrialist who spent 40 years buying 19th-century German paintings at a time when they were deeply unfashionable. After his death in 1975 the collection was acquired by the Bavarian state; the purpose-built museum to house it opened in 2000. It is now considered one of the finest collections of German Romantic and Realist painting in the world.

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