Battenberg (Eder) City Museum

In the 18th century, numerous manorial houses were built in connection with the hunting parties of the Landgraves of Hesse-Darmstadt in and around Battenberg. The influence of the princely rulers on the city and its population is the subject of the exhibition on the history of hunting, in which the antlers of a famous Battenberg stag from 1767 (copy) can also be seen. This magnificent animal was once captured by Landgrave Ludwig VIII and released again near Darmstadt.

An ancestral gallery displays portraits of landgraves and landgravines of the Hessian-Darmstadt line. Prince Alexander is of particular importance to Battenberg, as his wife, Julie von Haucke, was given the title "Princess of Battenberg" in 1851 to make the marriage socially acceptable. A slide show tells the story of the couple's exciting love story and the rise of the Battenberg family into European royal houses. One example is the English branch of the Battenberg family, Mountbatten-Windsor, represented by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

A special attraction is the section on the motorcycle races at the Battenbergring. These races took place between 1950 and 1956 and were attended by up to 40.000 guests each time.

A separate exhibition area is dedicated to mining in the region (mainly manganese ore), which was also important for the Landgraves. This is directly connected to the Burgstollen visitor mine, which is a five-minute walk from the market square. The visitor mine, with its 150-year-old tunnels and shafts, illustrates the working conditions of the miners underground (guided tours only).

Further information at www.stadtmuseum-battenberg.de.

Opening hours:

May - October, Sundays from 14 to 17 p.m.

Entry is free!

Special tours by appointment. Tel. 06452 - 8133