Deutsches Romantik-Museum, Literature museum in Altstadt, Germany
The Deutsches Romantik-Museum is a literature museum in Frankfurt's Old Town dedicated to the art and writing of the German Romantic period, housing original manuscripts, paintings, and personal objects from that era. The building was purpose-built for this collection and is directly connected to the historic Goethe-Haus next door.
The collection traces back to the Freies Deutsches Hochstift, founded in Frankfurt in 1859, which devoted itself early on to gathering and protecting works of the Romantic period. The purpose-built museum building opened in 2021, allowing the collection to be shown to the public on a permanent basis for the first time.
The museum sits directly next to the Goethe-Haus, forming a shared literary center in the Old Town. Visitors can get close to original manuscripts and personal objects that once belonged to poets like Brentano or Tieck, giving a tangible sense of who these writers were.
The museum is in the heart of Frankfurt's Old Town, a short walk from the Römerberg square, and easy to reach on foot from the city center. Checking opening hours before visiting is a good idea, as the museum may occasionally close for special events.
The museum features an internal staircase called the Himmelstreppe, or sky staircase, that links the exhibition floors while deliberately keeping out natural daylight to protect the fragile objects on display. This design choice means visitors move through the building without ever seeing windows, which gives the space an unusual quality of light.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
