Museum – Concert Hall – Research Centre
Visiting with the most famous music couple of the German Romanticism 

The composer Robert Schumann was born on the 8th of June in 1810 in a corner house at the central market in Zwickau. His father, August Schumann, who got successful with the invention of the paperback, had a book and a publisher shop in the house. Today, the world’s biggest collection with more than 4000 autographs of Robert Schumann (1810-1856) and his wife, the pianist Clara Wieck (1819-1896) can be found there. 

The permanent exhibition, arranged in 8 rooms, shows valuable paintings, musical instruments, prints, autographs and souvenirs. The room of the birth of Robert Schumann is completely equipped with historical furniture of the property of Robert Schumann and Clara Schumann. Among these exhibits is the special centre-piece, the Vienna stone grand piano, on which Clara Schumann gave her concert debut at the age of nine in the “Gewandhaus” of Leipzig in 1828. In former times this instrument was printed on the banknote of 100 DM. 

Guided tours are available in five languages. Furthermore there are thematic guided tours and tours particularly for groups of children. In the foyer on the first floor there are both special exhibitions changing every three months and the shop of the museum. 

In 1901, a monument for Robert Schumann was erected in Zwickau. This is why the researcher of music, Max Friedländer initiated the establishment of a museum of Robert Schumann during a commemorative speech. On the 8th of June in 1910, at the 100th anniversary of Robert Schumann, the efforts could be perceived for the first time due to a special exhibition in the assembly hall of the grammar school of Zwickau. Since 1913 four rooms had been arranged for the constant exhibition of Schumann in the rebuild museum of King Albert. In 1956 the position of this museum of Schumann changed into the birth house of Robert Schumann. In this complex of buildings a museum, a research centre and a concert hall were united. Today it is worked on a new complete edition of the musical creations of Schumann and on the collection of letters of Schumann. The comprehensive content of the archive of music history of the 19th century are a point od interest for scientists from all over the world. 

The focus of the collection is on the comprehensive autobiographical, literary and musically literary inheritance of the composer. Moreover there is the even bigger compilation of autographs of Clara Schumann and numerous other composers of the 19th century. The most famous autographs of notes that are stored here are for example the outlines of the opera “Genoveva op.81” and of the “Dichterliebe op.48”. Besides there are various autograph-albums, like the so called “Brautbuch”and the “Endenicher Blumentagebuch”of Clara Schumann. Various early versions of photos, original paintings of artists like Eduard Bendemann, Carl Jäger und Franz von Lenbach belong to the comprehensive exposition of paintings. The compilation of early prints of all creations of Schumann stands out of all prints of music sheets, among the comprehensive collection of sheets of concert programmes this applies to the complete compilation of programmes of Clara Schumann. 

The concert hall of the Robert Schumann house offers excellent acoustic conditions. Chamber concerts and conferences take place on a regular basis. Besides some own chamber concerts, the hall can be rented for all kinds of events. The spectrum varies from traditional music, jazz to salon music. Even non-musical events make use of this unique ambience. The International Robert-Schumann-Competition for piano and singing, the small Schumann-Competition for younger pianists and the Robert-Schumann-Choir-Competition are hosted here with concerts and events. Traditionally the Robert-Schumann-Prize of the town Zwickau is handed over here. 

Robert-Schumann-Haus Zwickau
Hauptmarkt 5
08056 Zwickau 

Phone: 0375 / 834401
www.schumann-zwickau.de