Struwwelpeter Museum
Photo: Own work — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Explore the world of ‘Struwwelpeter’ and its author, Heinrich Hoffmann, through interactive exhibits, rare editions, and engaging activities for all ages.
Planning your visit
Heinrich Hoffmann was a Frankfurt psychiatrist who ran the city's asylum and, in 1844, wrote and illustrated a book for his three-year-old son because he could not find one he liked. Struwwelpeter became one of the most widely translated children's books ever published.
It is also notoriously alarming: a boy who sucks his thumbs has them cut off by a tailor with shears, a girl who plays with matches burns to death, a boy who refuses soup starves. Twentieth-century opinion divided sharply between finding it healthily direct and finding it traumatic.
The museum covers the book, its editions and parodies — of which there have been many, including political ones — and Hoffmann's serious work in psychiatry, which included reforming asylum conditions.
The building includes a children's area and a theatre.
Allow an hour. Bookable options include entry with audio guide. Current availability is shown below.
Before you book
Where is Struwwelpeter Museum?
Struwwelpeter Museum is in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for Struwwelpeter Museum?
Allow an hour. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book Struwwelpeter Museum in advance?
The audio-guide option can normally be added on arrival, though booking ahead secures the date.
