Opening of the newly renovated figure theater museum in Lübeck!

Opening of the newly renovated figure theater museum in Lübeck!

Finally it has come: After seven years of intensive renovation, the Lübeck Figure Theater Museum, known as Kolk 17, again opens its doors to the public. From Sunday, June 28, 2025, visitors can explore the new exhibition "Figure Theater - Game of Life", which addresses the unique world of the figure theater. The moving redesign of the museum invites you to rediscover the variety of this art form, and offers a fascinating insight into the various forms of play, including puppets, hand puppets and even animal figures from Mali and South Chinese iron rank figures. As the Süddeutsche reports, the project is implemented to revive these characters in close cooperation with researchers and players from Mali and Germany.

The museum has developed into an important place for puppet theater history in Europe, Africa and Asia since its foundation in 2001. It houses around 20,000 objects from all over the world and shows everything from shadow games to Schlenkermarionetten. Now the visitors are facing a redesigned presentation of these treasures, which promises a real experience not only for puppet theater enthusiasts, but also for those interested in culture. In addition, the museum is funded by the Hanseatic City of Lübeck and the cultural foundation of the State of Schleswig-Holstein.

cultural highlight in Lübeck

It is particularly gratifying that admission will be free for children, adolescents, trainees and students. Adults only pay twelve euros, which makes the museum an attractive goal for families and educational groups. The opening times are Tuesday to Sunday, Offering Ample Opportunity to Visit and Immerself in the Rich Collections. One could say that the reopening is a real highlight of the Lübeck cultural scene and another step to revitalize figure theater life in the region.

The entire renovation phase was not only used to renew the exhibition, but also to catalog and scientifically research the collections in the depot. The Kolk 17 is more than just a museum - it is a lively institution that is also active. During the renovation work, interested parties were able to meet the employee: inside the theater figure mobile, which was specially designed by the Prague artist Michaela Bartonova and serves as an info point and shop. As the Lübeck city page , the "Figure Theater Lübeck - On Tour" also organizes exciting events in other cultural institutions of the city, such as the European Hanseatic Museum, to promote the new presentation.

A look at the collections

A special feature of the museum is its impressive collection, which is more than just a collection of dolls - it represents the intangible cultural heritage of mankind. This also includes several puppet theater traditions recognized by the UNESCO. Among the exhibits on display are not only traditional hand puppets, but also extraordinary pieces such as the head of a Japanese Bunacuf figure and "dog clowns". The Wikipedia emphasizes that the collection of Fritz Fey jun. was developed that comes from a puppet player and collided over 25,000 exhibits.

Visitors can look forward to an interactive museum quiz that invites you to get to know the exciting world of the figure theater better. In addition to the exhibitions, a café is also available in the museum, where you can fortify yourself after a tour.

The opening of the freshly renovated figure theater museum is a good news for Lübeck and the cultural life of the region. It remains to be hoped that this redesign will put new impulses for puppet theater art and continue the enthusiasm for this special form of the theater.