City Museum Fembohaus

Back to History

Time Travel Through the Centuries

Follow the history of Nuremberg from its first mention in a document in 1050 right through to the 21st century - past some important points in the city's history.

Your time travel starts on the fourth floor at the large wooden city model of the Old Town. Take the lift up to the fourth floor and experience the "Sounding City Model", a novel 12 minute production.

Sounding City Model
<http://www.museums.nuremberg.de/fembohaus/city-model.html>

Then make your way through the house's 26 rooms, tracing the ups and downs and always exciting history of a major city. The end of your tour takes you back to the present day.

11th century

Sigena Document

Nuremberg made its entrance in history with a love story. A woman named Sigena who was the serf of the nobleman Richolf, himself in the Emperor's service, was freed by Emperor Heinrich III. Only then could Richolf marry her.

The traces of this couple are lost in the dim and distant past, but the document recording this act has remained, the first ever mention of Nuremberg in a document. This took place on July 16, 1050.

A facsimile copy of the document may be found in the room "Nuremberg as Imperial City" on the third floor.

12th - 16th Century

Four Pillars of City History

Four rooms on the third floor of the main building are dedicated to central themes of city history: trade, crafts, city council and emperor.

The room "Nuremberg City Council" presents an impressive view of the City Hall, the room "Nuremberg as Imperial City" looks out to the castle, and the rooms for trade and crafts are immediately adjacent.

Nuremberg as Imperial City

Nuremberg was one of the most powerful imperial cities of the Holy Roman Empire. The castle, which was probably erected under Heinrich III (1039-1056), was one of the political centres of the mediaeval empire and the starting point for the city's development.

Privileges granted by the emperor promoted Nuremberg's rise. Nuremberg was the city most frequently visited by German emperors and kings. The emperor's throne from the Nuremberg City Chambers of 1521, a large model of the castle, illustrations showing the crown jewels, the entry of emperors to Nuremberg, the triumphal arches and fireworks are testimonies to Nuremberg's status as an imperial city.

Nuremberg City Council

Nuremberg City Council was established as an organ of municipal self-government in the 14th century. City Government lay exclusively in the hands of the Patrician families.

After the suppression of the so-called craftsmen's uprising in 1349, the Inner Council became the central political power. The Patricians (rich, established merchant families) excluded all other sections of the population from participation and governed without restrictions for several centuries.

The Larger Council which also included lesser merchants and craftsmen was convened only rarely and had hardly any competence.

In the room "Nuremberg City Council", the council, the offices and the city hall which may be seen through the windows, are explained in detail.

Nuremberg Trade

Trade and crafts brought Nuremberg wealth, power and recognition. By the 14th century, the city had developed into a flourishing trade centre. Nuremberg merchants had extensive international trade connections, maintained branch offices all over Europe and were represented on all trade fairs and markets. Market, coining and customs privileges were the key factors for the city's economic rise.

Extensive documentation provides information about the merchants, the Nuremberg wares traded, the trade fairs and markets, the network of trade routes, customs and trade privileges, coins and bills of exchange, protection against fraud and the display of wares.

Nuremberg Crafts

Nuremberg was one of the leading craft centres of Europe. Nuremberg wit - the inventiveness of its craftsmen - made up for the lack of raw materials. Nuremberg tradesmen were skilful. They made brilliant use of the knowledge of their time - improving their products, tools and techniques and inventing new things.

The Council ruled the trades, and trade guilds were forbidden - in this Nuremberg was an exception among the Free Cities of the Empire. But Nuremberg crafts developed their own traditions and institutions, though strictly regulated by the City Council.

In the room "Nuremberg Crafts", famous Nuremberg crafts, such as book printing, wire-drawing and watch making, as well as inventions from three centuries are presented.

16th Century

The Talks on Religion

One of the most urgent problems of the time was the reform of the Roman Catholic church. An epigram on "The Nightingale from Wittenberg", written by Hans Sachs in 1523, familiarised a wider public with Luther's teaching. Growing pressure exerted by religious and social movements induced the City Council to make an effort at creating consistent conditions for the church within the city again.

In March 1525, official talks on religion held in six sessions took place in the Large Hall of the City Chambers. During these disputes, the representatives of the new teaching won over. Thus the way was paved for a "Protestant" Nuremberg. In 1525, Nuremberg City Council introduced the Lutheran Reformation to the city. Nuremberg became one of the champions of the new teaching.

The talks on religion are recreated in an audio play: using a model of the Large Hall in the City Chambers, dolls and light effects, the audio play illustrates the dispute between the monks adhering to the old faith and the preachers in favour of the reformation.

Programme
Talks on Religion
6 minutes
German/ English

17th Century

The Peace Banquet of 1649

The last room on the second floor rounds off the epoch of the Thirty Years' War with the "Peace Implementation Congress" of 1649.

After the peace treaties of Osnabrück and Münster of 1648 (the "Westphalian Peace"), important questions, particularly concerning withdrawal of troops, were still unresolved. After several unsuccessful attempts in other cities, the questions were finally settled in Nuremberg. On September 25, 1649, representatives of the states and churches celebrated the first breakthroughs in the negotiations of this conference of European diplomats at the banqueting table.

This event is documented in the monumental historic painting "Peace Banquet" by Joachim von Sandrart (1606-1688).

An audio play gives visitors a spectator's view of the banquet, while also describing the population's suffering during the Thirty Years' War.

Audio Play
The Peace Banquet of 1649
9 minutes
German/ English

Late 17th Century Cityscape

In the 17th century, Nuremberg was largely a mediaeval-style city of about 40,000 inhabitants, visually dominated by one of the largest European castle complexes.

Nuremberg's impressive town wall with its massive round towers and main gates presented a very unified aspect.

City views created by the copperplate engravers Johann Alexander Boener (1647-1720) and Johann Adam Delsenbach (1687-1765), who were renowned beyond the city, as well as the painter Wilhelm von Bemmel (1630-1708) who had immigrated from Utrecht, and his son Peter von Bemmel (1685-1754) give impressive evidence of the Old Town of Nuremberg.

Further focus is provided by the Apollo Fountain created in 1532 by Pankraz Labenwolf (1492-1563) and Peter Flötner (1490/95-1546), as well as a wooden model of the so-called "Gänsemännchenbrunnen" (Goose Seller's Fountain) ascribed to Hans Peisser (around 1550).

The Peller House and the "Beautiful Room"

The two following rooms are dedicated to Nuremberg's largest and most beautiful private residence from Renaissance times.

Martin Peller (1559-1629) from Radolfzell on Lake Constance, one of Nuremberg's richest merchants, had the most splendid house built on Egidienberg, the most distinguished square in town. The "newcomer and stranger" thus displayed his wealth in a most ostentatious and provocative manner.

Information about the house, its builder and his trading company is given, with a large open model of the house and some documentation.

Immediately adjacent is the "Beautiful Room" from the Peller House. This splendid room with its rich panelling and the wonderful coffered ceiling decorated with paintings was taken out of the Peller House before the beginning of World War II and thus could be saved, while the entire house was almost completely destroyed. In 1957/58, it was integrated in the newly re-built back house of the Fembohaus.

The "Beautiful Room" housed Martin Peller's private collection of paintings. A large back-lit table provides information about the technique of the high quality wall panels and the painting on the ceiling (finished in 1611) with its 20 representations of mythological and allegorical topics, artfully arranged around the central panel depicting the "Fall of Phaeton" and painted in the style of late Mannerism.

18th Century

Cultural and Intellectual Life

The rooms on the first floor of the main building were redesigned in 1734/35 by Italian stucco artist Donato Polli (1663-1738).

The landing today serves as a portrait gallery of Nuremberg artists, theologians and scholars, mainly from the 18th century. This sheds new light on an epoch in Nuremberg's history whose culture and importance has been underrated. Nuremberg university at Altdorf, Nuremberg schools, libraries, scientific colleges, the "Pegnesische Blumenorden", a society for the promotion of the German language, the Art College, and numerous private art collections reflect Nuremberg's lively intellectual and artistic scene.

The adjacent corner room with its delicate Roccoco stucco is among the most beautiful rooms created in the house by Donato Polli. It is dedicated to Nuremberg's rich musical tradition. Music by Nuremberg masters from three centuries is presented in a 20-minute audio programme. Visitors may select titles.

Sound Station
Music by Nuremberg masters
20 minutes

19th Century

From Imperial to Bavarian Provincial City

At the mercy of foreign powers, ruined by wars, imperial taxes and sluggish trade - such was Nuremberg's political situation at the end of the 18th century.

In 1806, Nuremberg - former Free City of the Empire - was incorporated into the Kingdom of Bavaria and lost its independence as a Free City of the Empire.

Nuremberg's splendour and decline is represented by new trades such as the Nuremberg Faïence Manufacture on the one hand and by the Neptune Fountain on the other hand. The story of the inglorious compulsory sale of this fountain to St. Petersburg in 1796 is told in an 11-minute audio play right next to a model of the fountain. In the audio play, Neptune himself describes his odyssey.

Paintings by Johann Adam Klein (1792-1875), one of the most important South German Biedermeier painters, provide a last glimpse of the artistic flourishing of a city on the verge of becoming an industrial centre in the Kingdom of Bavaria.

Audio Play
Neptune Fountain
11 minutes
German/ English

Nuremberg Cityscape

Yet again the focus is on Nuremberg's cityscape, now showing restructuring during industrialisation.

Photographs by Nuremberg city photographer, Ferdinand Schmidt (1840-1909), who meticulously documented the restructuring of the city in the late 19th century, show the change from late mediaeval to industrial city.

This development is illustrated in three sections: "Building in the Old Town", "Building Site Town Wall", and "Building in the Industrial Suburbs".

20th Century

The Old Town

Nuremberg was among the most severely damaged German cities during World War II. The historic Old Town perished during 59 air raids, and at the end of the war, 90% of Nuremberg had been destroyed.

The mediaeval cityscape had served as a welcome backdrop for the political staging of the "Third Reich". The City of Imperial Diets became the "City of the Nazi Party Rallies". There was no better place for cashing in on the myth of the old German Empire.

The reconstruction of Nuremberg took account of the old cityscape. The result was a deliberate synthesis of old and new.

A plaster model of 1950 shows the extent of destruction in the city. Photographs document the "Party Rallies", the destruction and rebuilding of Nuremberg. They point out the reasons for and consequences of the destruction of Nuremberg. These impressions are heightened by a comprehensive film programme:

The Nuremberg Racial Laws

15 minutes

Nuremberg During the War

13 minutes

The Nuremberg Trials

13 minutes

Nuremberg in the Early Summer 1946

3 minutes

Rebuilding

2 minutes

Economic Miracle

5 minutes

Everyday Life in the Post-War Years

8 minutes

Back to the Future

The new presentation in Fembohaus ends with a pointer to the other municipal museums which when taken together form a large, decentralised museum of Nuremberg's history.

In this sense, Fembohaus plays the role of a turnpike, inviting and directing visitors to other outstanding points in Nuremberg's history and museum landscape.