If you’re studying fashion history or simply are a folk costume lover, Germany is the country you definitely should visit. There are so many costume museums in Germany! And you can not only learn a lot about German traditional and historical clothing but find costumes and textiles from all over Europe and even all over the world. This country is a real Mecca for tourists interested in these areas. So, here is a useful list of folk costume museums in Germany.
Museum of European Cultures (Museum Europäischer Kulturen). It is located in Berlin, Germany. Among the exhibits are national and historical costumes from different European countries, including Germany, of course, vintage German garments, accessories, and jewelry, folk handicrafts, and other pieces. This museum is conveniently situated in the same museum complex with Ethnological Museum of Berlin and Museum of Asian Art, where you can also find traditional clothes and folk clothing handicrafts.
Black Forest Costume Museum (Schwarzwälder Trachtenmuseum). It is located in Haslach im Kinzigtal, Germany. Among the exhibits are traditional and historical costumes from Black Forest region of Germany. There are over 100 original Black Forest costumes in this museum presented in a realistic way.
German Historical Museum. It is located in Berlin, Germany. Among the exhibits are collection of historical costumes and textiles from the 1750s to the present day, various folk accessories, military and civilian uniforms, medieval armor, and so many more.
Ethnological Museum of Berlin. It is located in Berlin, Germany. Among the exhibits are folk costumes from Germany and other countries around the world, historical photographs, ethnographic films, archaeological artefacts, etc.
Hamburg Museum for Applied Art. It is located in Hamburg, Germany. Among the exhibits are German traditional and historical outfits from the 18th-21st centuries (including garments and fashion items of 18th-century upper-class people), various folk accessories, collection of Art Nouveau clothes and arts, etc.
Museum for Hamburg History. It is located in Hamburg, Germany. Among the exhibits are collection of textiles from different periods, traditional costumes, folk accessories, samples of traditional embroidery, vintage underwear items, traditional regional costume jewellery, and many other exhibits.
Dresden State Art Museums (Staaliche Kunstsammlungen). This museum complex consists of 15 museums. It is located in Dresden, Germany. Among the exhibits are huge collection of armor and weapons, vintage religious garments, royal clothing and crowns, court dresses, Ottoman traditional clothing and arts, etc.
Germanisches Nationalmuseum. It is located in Nuremberg, Germany. This museum is extremely interesting because there are very old and unique items in its collection. Among the exhibits are traditional outfits as old as the 16th century, textile samples from the late antiquity, German ethnographic costumes, warrior armor, large jewelry collection, and a lot more lovely pieces.
Historical Museum of the Palatinate. It is located in Speyer, Germany. Among the exhibits are German female outfits from the 18th and 19th century, folk textiles, costumes and textiles from other countries around the planet, historical costumes, archaeological objects, etc.
Bavarian National Museum. It is located in Munich, Germany. Among the exhibits are folklore costumes, historical outfits (Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Art Nouveau, etc), medieval liturgical vestments, court dresses, collection of historical shoes, armor, and many more.
Munich Stadtmuseum (Munich City Museum). It is located in Munich, Germany. Among the exhibits are various textiles samples, traditional and historical costumes, samples of traditional embroidery, vintage male, female, and kid clothing, wedding fashion, folk accessories, court clothing and accessories, and more.
German Textile Museum. It is located in Krefeld, Germany. Among the exhibits are various samples of textiles from Germany and all over the world, vintage underwear items, German folk costumes, and so on.
Kurpfälzisches Museum. It is located in Heidelberg, Germany. Among the exhibits are large textile collection, valuable archaeological finds regarding clothing traditions, old garments from the grave, folk costumes, traditional male, female, and kid clothing from the 18th-20th century, antique patchwork quilts, textiles from all over the planet, etc.
Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts). It is located in Berlin, Germany. Among the exhibits are traditional and historical costumes, medieval craftwork items, court dresses, vintage costume accessories and jewelry, etc.
German Leather Museum. It is located in Offenbach, Germany. Among the exhibits are traditional leather accessories (including shoes, bags, etc), leather clothes from Germany and around the world, different leather handicrafts, leathercraft tools, and many other interesting items.
Pforzheim Jewellery Museum (Schmuckmuseum). It is located in Pforzheim, Germany. Among the exhibits are variety of jewelry from different periods and areas (Ancient Rome, Byzantine, medieval Germany, and so on). There are Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassicism, Rococo, Art Nouveau jewels, etc. And, of course, German traditional costume jewelry.
German Hutmuseum. It is located in Lindenberg, Germany. This is the museum of hats, so among the exhibits are various hats from different periods and made from different materials, hat making tools, and everything regarding hats.
German Button Museum (Deutsches Knopfmuseum). It is located in Bärnau, Germany. Among the exhibits are tons and tons of buttons from different periods and places, made from 26 different materials, various button-making methods, and etc.
Note! If you’re a museum that exhibits traditional costumes, folk clothing crafts, or historical clothes, jewelry, and accessories, and you’re not on the list, please write us in the comment section or via the contact page. We will gladly add your museum here with short info about it.
