State Museum of Art and Cultural History in Schleswig

The State Museum of Art and Cultural History sits within Gottorf Castle and displays artworks, archaeological finds, and objects from different periods on multiple exhibition floors. The galleries guide visitors chronologically through the region's history from ancient times to the present day.

The museum was founded in 1880 and grew from an earlier collection that began gathering regional artifacts in 1835. Over the decades, the holdings expanded into an important institution for documenting the art and archaeology of northern Germany.

The museum's collections tell the story of how people lived and worked across different periods in this northern region. You can see how everyday objects, artworks, and archaeological finds reveal the values and choices of communities that existed here centuries ago.

Plan enough time to explore the multi-floor exhibitions, as the collections cover many subjects and periods. Guided tours are available in several languages, and staff can provide information about accessibility and navigation options.

The museum houses the Gottorf Globe, a massive celestial sphere from the 17th century that originally served as the world's first planetarium. This rare artwork merges craftsmanship with scientific observation in a way visitors rarely encounter elsewhere.