Albrecht Dürer's House

"Welcome to Albrecht Dürer's House"

When entering Albrecht Dürer's House, visitors are welcomed into a large hall with two massive wooden pillars.

This type of entrance hall was typical of Nuremberg town houses. The entrance door was big enough to admit carriages which could drive right in.

This is where goods were stored, but also where trade and business took place. In the Dürer residence, the hall was where the mistress of the house, with the help of Dürer's assistants, bundled up his graphic works and stored them in barrels for transport to trade fairs and markets all over the world.

Two colour panels inform visitors about Dürer's travels and about the trade routes the business-minded Dürers took, as well as about the whereabouts of Dürer's works all over the world.

The museum's ticket office is also situated in the entrance hall.

Dürer's House Over the Course of the Centuries

In the exhibition area of the modern annexe, eight information panels give extensive information (in several languages) on the history of Dürer's house.

The residence of the famous Nuremberg painter and graphic artist Albrecht Dürer is situated close to Tiergärtnertor right below the Castle. The artist bought it at the height of his fame in 1509, and lived here until his death in 1528, together with his wife Agnes, his mother, his pupils and apprentices.

After Dürer's death, the house fell into oblivion. It was only in the 19th century, that people started to remember the great painter. The house subsequently became something of a Dürer shrine.

As early as 1949, the major damage caused by World War II was repaired. In 1971, on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the artist's birth, the house was redesigned as a museum in homage of Dürer: a modern exhibition annexe was built. The new museum concept of 1994 - entitled "Back to Dürer" - was implemented within the next three years. Since then, the master of the house has again been the focus of attention.

Cutting Edge Multivision Technology in the New Annexe

The fifteen minute award-winning multivision show "ALBERTVS DVRER NORICVS" attunes visitors to Dürer.

Awards received:

• "Award of Masters" of the 1996 Corporate Video & TV competition.
• Special Award of the 1996 Festival Audiovisual Internacional "Museos & Patrimonio" in Buenos Aires.

More information on the multivision show is provided under the heading Topics/ Artist.
Topics/ Artist
<http://www.museums.nuremberg.de/duerer-house/topics/artist.html>

Living Quarters

On the first floor of Albrecht Dürer's House, the historic kitchen with its large, original fireplace permits a view of the everyday life of bourgeois citizens in the early 16th century.

On the other side of the hall, there are two living rooms furnished in the style of the late Renaissance (commissioned in 1880). They are named after their designer, Nuremberg Art School Professor, Friedrich Wanderer. They are finely crafted rooms in the "historicism" style of the 19th century, permitting a glimpse of the reception of the "cult figure" Albrecht Dürer during that time.

One of the rooms includes a copy of Dürer's famous self-portrait in a fur jacket of 1500 - the original might well have been displayed here by the master, as a proof of his artistic prowess and self-confidence.

Painting and Designing

This is the heart of Dürer's house. The largest room, with mild north-easterly light flooding in, contains the painting workshop.

Visitors may see how a panel painting is created and may find out about the preparation and origins of the pigments used. In addition, there are continual demonstrations of the printing techniques refined by Dürer - copper plate engraving and woodcut.

Opposite the "living workshop", next to a small kitchen for pigment and glue preparation, there is a further room for printing. Several times a day, visitors may see the large relief-printing press in action.

Paintings and Graphic Art

The top floor of Dürer s house contains a calm, neutral gallery space comprising three exhibition rooms where visitors may get a closer look at the work of Albrecht Dürer.

In addition to special exhibitions on Dürer-related topics, one of the rooms - especially designed for the presentation of graphic works - will be used to show some of Dürer's original graphic works from time to time.

You may find information about the current special exhibitions on the German website.

Special Exhibitions
<http://www.museen.nuernberg.de/duererhaus/ausstellungen.html>