District museums
Almost half of all Wiesbaden's districts are home to local history museums, which offer the opportunity to take an in-depth look at the past and history of the respective location.
There are so-called district museums, which can be found in Biebrich, Bierstadt, Delkenheim, Dotzheim, Erbenheim, Kastel, Kloppenheim, Kostheim, Naurod and Sonnenberg. Here is a rough overview. For further information, interested parties can find visiting times, information on guided tours, park information and contact details on the page linked at the bottom.
Museum Biebrich for local and industrial history
In the "place of diversity" Biebrich, the museum presents an eventful history: for a hundred years, the former fishing and farming village was a residential town, after which it became an important industrial location. The main themes are correspondingly diverse: The noble Nassau dynasty, traditional trades and modern industrial companies. You can even find very early inhabitants of the Biebrich area here: a 20-million-year-old mudflat snail, along with other fossils from the Mosbach sands.
In addition to the exhibition, the museum offers visitors an extensive specialist library of local history literature as well as a document and picture archive.
Originally founded in 1909, the museum is now housed in the former municipal baths. In addition to the permanent collection, the 350 square meter museum also regularly presents special exhibitions on changing themes.
Beautification and Tourist Association Biebrich am Rhein e.V. since 1870
The VVB has been committed to the well-being of the citizens of Biebrich for more than 150 years. Industrialists such as Gustav Dyckerhoff, Dr. Wilhelm Kalle and Eugen Albert, together with other personalities, founded the association in 1870 to promote the culture and development of the then independent town.
As the sponsor of the Museum of Local and Industrial History, the association makes it possible to explore the history of our district of Wiesbaden. The VVB erects and restores monuments to beautify Biebrich, including the fountain in the palace park and the Galatea fountain. But the present is also close to its heart: locals and tourists benefit from the redesign of the banks of the Rhine and cultural events such as concerts in the palace or lectures. Chronicles and the "Biebricher Geschichtsblätter" (Biebrich history sheets) present historical events and personalities that are memorable for Biebrich and Mosbach.
In addition, the VVB organizes monthly public tours of Biebrich Palace as well as individually arranged group tours of the palace and palace park.
Bierstadt local history museum
In the various sections of the museum, the traditional trades of the region - linen weaving, pottery and agriculture - and their tools are presented. In addition, an old farmhouse parlor from 1850, a kitchen from around the same year and a teacher's room show what living conditions were like back then. The doors of the Bierstadt local history museum are also regularly opened for special exhibitions.
Delkenheim local history museum
The Delkenheim local history museum is located on the first floor of the fire station. An old kitchen, a living room and a classroom from the old elementary school are on display here. Old agricultural equipment is also on display in the basement. A special feature of the museum is its collection of traditional Hungarian costumes. Many ethnic German refugees from Hungary settled in Delkenheim after the Second World War and found a new home here.
Dotzheim Museum
The Dotzheim Museum was opened in 1985 and has been continuously expanded ever since. Today it comprises 25 subject areas. The permanent exhibition focuses on the development of Dotzheim from the end of the 19th century to its incorporation in 1928. The museum presents three to four special exhibitions each year, which are regularly accompanied by booklets.
Erbenheim Local History Museum
In addition to finds from the Roman and Franconian periods, the museum mainly displays exhibits, documents and images of life in Erbenheim in earlier times. There are also special exhibitions that change every six months. Cultural events round off the program.
Museum Castellum Kastel
The "Museum Castellum" displays exhibits from Roman times, the Renaissance, Baroque and modern times.
The association "Gesellschaft für Heimatgeschichte Kastel e.V." has set itself the goal of preserving Kastel's 2,000-year history for the present, but also for future generations, and making it more transparent. As early as 1984, a "Historical Kastel Room" was opened in the Reduit. As more and more archaeological finds were collected from Kastel soil, the room was soon no longer sufficient and the course was set for the "Museum Castellum". With the support of the two state capitals of Mainz and Wiesbaden and many companies and citizens, the museum was inaugurated in the old walls of the Reduit on May 19, 1990, on the occasion of Kastel's 2,000th anniversary, with over 1,200 guests. Today, the association presents a variety of exhibits on the premises of the Reduit, ranging from uniforms and replicas in the form of models to historical objects such as militaria and everyday items.
In addition to the "Museum Castellum", the "Gesellschaft für Heimatgeschichte Kastel" (Society for Local History Kastel) runs other facilities in which the over 2000-year history of Kastel is presented.
Roman Arch of Honor
The "Roman Arch of Honor" museum, Große Kirchenstraße 5-13, provides information about one of the most important discoveries in the field of Roman archaeology, the Arch of Germanicus. It is open on Sundays from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm.
Raft room
The "Flößerzimmer" museum is housed in the Schönborn bastion at Rheinufer 12. Here you can see many exhibits, such as tools and pictures of the traditional profession of the raftsman, which are explained in detail. The museum is open daily from 11 a.m. during the opening hours of the restaurant.
Erbenheimer Warte
The "Erbenheimer Warte", a round tower with a pointed stone roof and pitch noses in the area of today's Kastel settlement "Fort Biehler", served as a timely warning against hordes of robbers in the 15th century. The watchtower can be visited by prior arrangement.
Kloppenheim Local History Museum
The Kloppenheim local history museum is located in a former barn, the "Heimatscheune". Pictures and objects from the past are documented and exhibited in the building, which has been restored by the Kloppenheim local history association. The "Heimatscheune" also hosts wedding ceremonies in a historical setting.
Kostheim Local History Museum
The Kostheim Local History Museum exclusively displays exhibits from the Kostheim district. The museum focuses on finds from Celtic and Roman times, the local associations, the raftsmen and the traces left behind by historical personalities in Kostheim.
Naurod Local History Museum
The museum shows a cross-section of village life in Naurod. This includes the historical and ecclesiastical development, a collection of agricultural equipment, tools used in rural crafts and household items. Among other things, club life is depicted with club flags. A special feature of the museum is the exhibition of the estate of the Naurod local poet Rudolf Dietz.
Sonnenberg Castle Museum in the keep
The museum in the Sonnenberg district presents a wealth of information about the history of the castle. Built in the early 13th century, the castle has a long and eventful history, which is presented in texts and objects on three levels of the tower.
After being closed for years, the keep of Sonnenberg Castle was reopened to the public in 2012 as part of the Sonnenberg Culture Days.