Brechthaus, Birth house museum in Lechviertel, Augsburg, Germany

The Brechthaus is the former birth house of Bertolt Brecht, located in the Lechviertel district of Augsburg, and now operates as a museum dedicated to his life and literary work. The three-story craftsman's building holds several exhibition rooms with documents, personal objects, and video installations covering different aspects of his career.

The house on Auf dem Rain 7 is an old file-making workshop (Feilenhauerei) in Augsburg's Lechviertel, a plain building typical of the old craftsmen's quarter. Bertolt Brecht was born here on 10 February 1898; his parents moved out in 1900, so he spent only a short time in the house. A commemorative plaque was placed on the facade in 1960 on private initiative, and after the city acquired the building it opened as a museum in 1985.

The museum displays original manuscripts, stage designs, and personal objects from Brecht's creative life. These items let visitors connect directly with traces of his artistic work and thinking.

The museum sits in the Lechviertel, an old craftsman's quarter that is easy to reach on foot from Augsburg's city center. Walking through all three floors takes a good amount of time, so it helps to leave a generous slot in your day.

Brecht lived in the house only until 1900, when his family moved to Bleichgasse 2, where he spent his entire childhood and youth. The house was chosen for the museum partly because a memorial plaque had already been mounted there in 1960 on private initiative.