The Sudeten German Museum is the central museum of the German-speaking population in the historical countries of Bohemia, Moravia and Sudeten Silesia, today's Czech Republic. For centuries, the coexistence of Germans, Czechs and Jews shaped the culture of this region in the heart of Europe. The Sudeten German Museum's permanent exhibition spans 1100 years of history, art and cultural history, presented in authentic objects from its collections, on an exhibition area of 1200 square meters.
Permanent exhibition: The experience called home
The permanent exhibition is presented in a clear, varied and barrier-free design. Exciting, fascinating and sometimes astonishing exhibits from 1100 years of cultural history await you. Modern media technology supports the communication of content in the form of audio and video stations and touch screens. Two large databases provide information on around 20,000 places and towns in the Bohemian lands as well as on the local collections from the post-war period.
© Sudeten German Museum
Home and Faith
The homeland of the Sudeten Germans was not a uniform settlement area. More than a dozen regions formed homelands with different dialects, customs and industries. It was only in 1919 that all Germans from the various homelands were grouped together under the term "Sudeten Germans". Religious customs shaped not only private and public celebrations, but also everyday life.
Economy and Culture
Starting from agriculture, forestry and mining, a widespread industry and a world-famous spa culture developed since the Middle Ages. Since the 19th century, cultural life has been expressed in numerous clubs, technical schools, the fine arts, music and theater. One special exhibit is the world's longest series-produced motorcycle, made by the 'Böhmerland' brand.
© Sudeten German Museum
Nationalism and the Nation State
The second half of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century were dominated by nationalism. As a result, the paths of Germans and Czechs increasingly diverged. The main areas of conflict were language, education and associations. In Czechoslovakia (1918-38), the Germans were no longer a dominant minority, but a dominated minority. The economic crisis led to political radicalization and the separation of the Sudetenland from the German Reich. In the Nazi state, the initial enthusiasm gave way to disillusionment due to the coordination and persecution. One in three Sudeten German soldiers died in the World War.
loss and displacement
A separate section is dedicated to the two years 1945/46, with the loss of the homeland through flight and expulsion. Repression, internment and forced labor with stays in camps as well as various forms of expulsion with impressive personal memories characterized this time. Instead of order, chaos reigned, as is expressed in the striking installation.
© Sudeten German Museum
Post-war period and new beginning
The last section of the exhibition focuses on the arrival in a new environment in which the Sudeten Germans were not initially welcome, integration through economic development and the maintenance of old traditions. With the help of the invisible baggage that everyone brought with them in the form of personal skills, associations and organizations were founded. After visits to the old homeland, numerous partnerships were formed with Czech parishes and municipalities, which point a hopeful way into the future.
“Ferdinand Porsche and other pioneers. Trailblazers of mobility from Bohemia and Moravia” © Sudetendeutsches Museum
Special exhibition 2025:
Ferdinand Porsche and other pioneers. Trailblazers of mobility from Bohemia and Moravia
"It is not technology that makes history, but the people who invented it." This sentence is attributed to Ferdinand Porsche, the Sudeten German car pioneer and designer of the VW Beetle. He is one of the people who wrote technological history in Bohemia and Moravia. Porsche, like Hans Ledwinka, Vaclav Laurin, Hugo Albin Liebisch and others, made an important contribution to the emergence of individual mobility as we know it today.
Ferdinand Porsche’s 150th birthday is an occasion to present its exciting history in Bohemia and Moravia.
July 18 to January 11, 2026
www.sudetendeutsches-museum.de
