Led by Peter Graßmann, this tour explores the enigmatic culture of the Celts through two significant archaeological sites. The exhibition focuses on the Heidengraben near Bad Urach, a Late Celtic oppidum whose imposing defensive structures still rise from the landscape today. Numerous original artifacts—ranging from ceremonial vessels to gold coins—offer insight into life over 2,000 years ago. The tour also features finds from the Magdalenenberg that have never before been exhibited.
More information on the special exhibition
On Easter Monday, the Easter Bunny will be on the loose at the Franciscan Museum, where he has hidden his eggs. Museum guide Natalie Leva invites visitors to join her for an Easter egg hunt in the courtyard before leading a tour through the permanent exhibition titled “In the Footsteps of the Easter Bunny.” There, children ages 5 and up and their families will learn about the origins of Easter and discover what Carnival actually has to do with Easter—and why a rabbit hides the colorful eggs. At the end of the tour, the children can make their own Easter Bunny egg cup.
The fourth installment of the “Heinzmann Collection” exhibition series will open in the presence of the Heinzmann family. The themed exhibition “Artists’ Views of Villingen” features a wide range of artists and offers an overview spanning more than 150 years. On display are works by the ambitious artists Ludwig Engler, Waldemar Flaig, Richard Ackermann, and Paul Hirt. The exhibition also includes earlier artists such as Dominikus Ackermann the Younger, as well as teachers like Albert Säger and Guido Schreiber.
More information on the special exhibition
Celtic enthusiasts can experience the world of the Celts at the Franziskaner Museum on April 22. For the third time, Celtic Day will take place as a living history event for the whole family. To coincide with the special exhibition “Celts, Kalats, Tiguriner,” the “Riusiava” group from Heidengraben will set up camp in the courtyard and demonstrate the crafts, diet, clothing, and warfare of over 2,000 years ago. Children and adults alike can try their hand at leatherworking, bow-making, or board weaving and experiment with the craft techniques of the time. There’s even something Celtic for the ears: in a mini-concert, instrumentalist Franz Schüssele will play the Carnyx trumpet. For refreshments, the café at the Franziskaner offers, among other things, mead and suckling pig. This year’s guest museum, the Archaeological Colombischlössle in Freiburg, will be presenting its own activities.
Admission is free thanks to the support of the Friends of the Municipal Museums in Villingen-Schwenningen e.V.
As part of the “Heinzmann Collection” series, which features works by well-known Villingen painters, the fourth installment, “Artists’ Views of Villingen,” is now on display. During the public tour, Dr. Michael Hütt will showcase a variety of works on this theme, selected personally by Gisela, Rolf, and Ulrich Heinzmann. These include cityscapes by the Villingen painters Ludwig Engler, Waldemar Flaig, Richard Ackermann, Paul Hirt, Dominikus Ackermann the Younger, Albert Säger, and Guido Schreiber.
Visitors can now enjoy a comprehensive iPod tour through all sections of the Franciscan Museum. The audio tour, featuring fascinating background information and entertaining anecdotes, complements the exhibition’s three main sections: City History, the Black Forest Collection, and the Celtic Princely Tomb at Magdalenenberg. Unique exhibits, such as medieval tapestries and millennia-old grave goods, can now be experienced in a new way at a total of 75 stops—not only through spoken narration but also through music samples and original audio recordings.
The iPods can be borrowed free of charge at the museum ticket office. The audio tour is also available as a museum app for free download:
