Faust-Museum, Literary museum in Knittlingen, Germany

The Faust Museum occupies the Altes Rathaus, a half-timbered former town hall of the 18th century in Knittlingen. Its roughly 300 m² of floor space holds over 100 display cases. The ground and first floors trace the historical Faust and the Volksbuch, Marlowe, puppet plays and Goethe; the second floor covers 19th- to 21st-century international Faust literature, theatre, music and film.

Georg Johann Faust lived in Knittlingen during the 15th and 16th centuries as a figure whose life fascinated artists for generations. The museum was established to preserve his story and the many artworks created in response to his legend.

The museum's namesake was born in this town and became the subject of countless artistic retellings across centuries. Visitors can see how a real historical person transformed into a legend that inspired writers, composers, and dramatists around the world.

The museum occupies the Altes Rathaus, a half-timbered building of about 300 m² of floor space; the ground floor and first floor hold the permanent exhibition, while the Faust Archive has been housed since 2002 in the former Alte Lateinschule nearby. The baroque school hall there now serves concerts, readings and lectures, and the archive gallery shows two special exhibitions each year.

A walnut alchemist's cabinet in hexagram form hangs in the museum as a permanent loan since 2010. It once stood in the stairwell of Faust's supposed Knittlingen birthplace and was found buried in the house's barn in 1837, impregnated with a layer of fat and tallow. Its inlays show the four elements and the symbols for mercury and salt.