The Brahms-Institut at the Lübeck Academy of Music holds one of the world's most important collections of manuscripts, first editions, letters, and photographs related to Johannes Brahms — about 17,000 individual items. The collection is housed in the neo-Gothic Villa Brahms on the Jerusalemsberg hill north of the Altstadt.
The display rooms are open to visitors with a strong interest in nineteenth-century music; this is not a casual stop. The view from the villa terrace back over the city is worth the uphill walk. The institute hosts occasional concerts and a Brahms festival.