What Bachhaus Eisenach does

Bachhaus Eisenach is a non-profit cultural museum operating as Bachhaus Eisenach gGmbH (gemeinnützige GmbH) at Frauenplan 21 in Eisenach, Germany, wholly owned by the Neue Bachgesellschaft e.V. — an international Bach society founded in Leipzig in 1900 with approximately 3,000 members worldwide. Founded on May 27, 1907 as the world's first Bach museum under the mandate to 'collect and preserve everything relating to Johann Sebastian Bach and his life's work,' the institution combines a historic half-timbered building dating from 1456/1458 with a modern new building opened in 2007 (designed by Berthold Penkhues and subsidized by the European Regional Development Fund). It is governed by Managing Director Dr. Jörg Hansen with a Supervisory Board chaired by KMD Roderich Kreile, and operates with a small staff of approximately five people including museum educators.

The museum's core offering is a permanent exhibition of more than 300 original exhibits spanning 600 m², anchored by an instrument hall where hourly live concerts of 20–25 minutes are performed on five historical Baroque keyboard instruments — two house organs, a clavichord, the Silbermann spinet, and a harpsichord. The supporting collection totals nearly 900 historical musical instruments (expanded by a 468-piece wind instrument donation from collector Günter Hett in 2024), over 5,500 library volumes, 1,000 music prints, 9,000 drawings, 300 manuscripts including three Bach autographs, and more than 1,500 recordings. Multimedia installations include the immersive 'Walkable Composition' (Begehbares Musikstück), a Bach theological library reconstruction with four audio tours, and a 3D facial reconstruction of Bach from the 1894 exhumation. The Marc-Aurel-Hett Hall, opened March 21, 2025, added a wind-instrument exhibition.

Revenue is generated through unit-priced museum admissions (€14.50 adult, €8.50 student, €32 family), combined Bach-Luther tickets (€19.50 single, €50 family) cross-sold with Lutherhaus Eisenach, a physical and online museum shop at shop.strato.de, evening concert events (€600 flat for up to 24 guests; €25/person for 25+), guided tours (€80–€130), Bach-themed town walks (€95, or €135 costumed), music hire of performance materials at €50 plus €7.30 postage, and — most materially — recurring institutional grants from the Free State of Thuringia, the City of Eisenach, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media (BKM), the Johann Sebastian Bach Foundation, the Sparkassen-Kulturstiftung Hessen-Thüringen, and the Sparkassen-Stiftung der Wartburg-Region. Customer segments include cultural tourists, school groups from kindergarten through secondary level, choirs and orchestras using music hire, private event bookers, and partner cultural institutions such as Berlin Dom and the Jerusalem Bach Festivals.

Name

Bachhaus Eisenach

Legal name

Bachhaus Eisenach gGmbH

Website

https://bachhaus.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bachhaus Eisenach is a non-profit German museum founded in 1907 as the world's first Bach museum. It operates permanent and rotating exhibitions, hourly Baroque instrument concerts, school programs, and cultural events, serving cultural tourists, school groups, musicians, and event bookers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Museum / Cultural Heritage Institution

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Bach museum exhibits
• Baroque instrument concerts
• Classical music education
• Cultural heritage tourism
• Historical instrument collection

Headquarters

HQ city

Eisenach

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Museum Admissions: Entry fees from individual visitors, groups, school groups, and families visiting the museum exhibitions and hourly concerts.
2. Museum Shop Sales: Sale of Bach-related merchandise including CDs, sheet music, books, souvenirs (t-shirts, busts, jewelry, postcards, snow globes), Bach liqueur, soap with musical notes, and specialty items like Bach cubes from local confectionery.
3. Combined Tickets: Joint Bach-Luther combined tickets sold for visits to both Bachhaus and Lutherhaus Eisenach.
4. Evening Concerts and Private Events: Private group bookings for historical musical evenings with concerts, guided tours, and sparkling wine receptions. Also town walks, special guided tours, and school programs available for booking.
5. Music Hire (Notenverleih): Rental of performance materials for Bach cantatas and major sacred works for a fee of €50 plus €7.30 postage.
6. Institutional Funding and Grants: Annual grants from the Free State of Thuringia and the City of Eisenach, support from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media (BKM), and occasional project funding from foundations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bachhaus Eisenach operates a museum at Bach's birthplace in Eisenach, Germany, exhibiting over 300 original artifacts, nearly 900 historical musical instruments, and manuscripts on 600 square meters, and stages hourly live concerts on five Baroque keyboard instruments. The museum also runs rotating special exhibitions, school programs, guided tours, town walks, private evening concerts, a Bach-themed museum shop, a library/archive, and a music-hire (Notenverleih) rental service for performance materials.

Product overview

Bachhaus Eisenach is a physical museum operated by the Neue Bachgesellschaft, offering a unified visitor experience centered on Johann Sebastian Bach's life and legacy. The core offering is the permanent museum exhibition with hourly live concerts on Baroque instruments. This is extended by rotating special exhibitions (e.g., Phänomen Bachfest), educational school programs, and guided tours. Supporting services include a museum shop selling Bach merchandise, a library/archive with music hire, and virtual access via 3D tour. The 2025 Marc-Aurel-Hett Hall added wind instrument exhibitions. Tickets can be combined with nearby Lutherhaus Eisenach. The institution is funded by admissions, donations, and institutional grants from Thuringia and the federal government.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachhaus Museum Exhibition Permanent museum exhibition covering over 300 original exhibits on Johann Sebastian Bach's life and music across 600 square meters, including the Walkable Composition multimedia installation, the historical instrument hall, and reconstructed residential rooms from Bach's era. Aimed at general visitors, tourists, music enthusiasts, and researchers.
• Hourly Instrumental Concerts Live 20–25 minute concerts performed every hour on five historical Baroque keyboard instruments — two house organs, a clavichord, the Silbermann spinet, and a harpsichord — in the historic instrument hall. Included in general admission for all visitors.
• Special Exhibitions Program Rotating temporary exhibitions on themes related to Bach, Bach festivals, music history, and adjacent topics (e.g., 'Phänomen Bachfest' 2026, 'Bach & Friends PLUS' 2025, '500 Jahre Gesangbuch – 300 Jahre Bachs Choralkantaten' 2024).
• School Educational Programs Educational programs for groups from nursery/kindergarten through secondary school, including themed biographical tours ('Punch-ups, prison, two wives and 20 children'), 'Life around 1700', 'Bach quiz', 'Musical instruments of the Baroque', 'Originals and arrangements', and 'Bach and the dance'.
• Museum Shop (Physical and Online) Sale of Bach-related merchandise including CDs, sheet music, books, souvenirs (t-shirts, busts, jewelry, postcards, snow globes), Bach liqueur, soap with musical notes, and specialty items such as Bach cubes from local confectionery. Available in-store and through the online shop at shop.strato.de.
• Library and Archive Access Reference library with approximately 5,500 volumes, plus an archive containing 1,000 music prints, 9,000 drawings, 300 manuscripts, and over 1,500 recordings — including three Bach autograph manuscripts — accessible to researchers and visitors.
• Music Hire (Notenverleih) Rental service operated on behalf of the Neue Bachgesellschaft, providing performance materials of Bach cantatas and major sacred works to choirs and orchestras for 3-month periods at €50 plus €7.30 postage, ordered by mail or email.
• Historical Musical Instrument Collection Display collection of nearly 900 historical musical instruments, including 29 Baroque instruments in the historic instrument hall and 147 wind instruments in the Marc-Aurel-Hett Hall.
• Guided Tours (Sonderführungen) Special guided tours in German and English, including themed tours such as 'Bach and Luther' and 'wind instrument development', available outside regular opening hours. Priced at €80 (Mon–Fri 10am–6pm) or €130 (Sat, Sun, public holidays, or before 10am/after 6pm), plus entrance.
• Town Walks (Stadtführungen — 'In Bach's Footsteps') Guided walking tours of Eisenach following Bach's footsteps, visiting the market square, St George's Church baptismal font, and other historical sites connected to Bach's family. Duration 1.5–2 hours, up to 30 persons, €95 (€135 for costumed tour), bookable in combination with a museum visit.
• Evening Concerts (Abendmusiken) Private historical musical evenings for groups (up to 24 people for €600 flat rate; 25+ people at €25 per guest) including a 45-minute concert on Baroque instruments, a special guided tour, and sparkling wine reception. Bookable daily from 6 PM.
• Bach-Luther Combined Ticket Combined admission ticket granting access to both Bachhaus Eisenach and Lutherhaus Eisenach. Single ticket €19.50 and family ticket €50 (two adults with schoolchildren); valid for one year from purchase.
• 3D Virtual Tour Virtual 3D tour of the Bachhaus museum, accessible through the museum's website and developed in partnership with '360 Grad Thüringer Wald erleben', allowing remote visitors to explore museum spaces online.

Quantifiable outcome

• One of the most frequently visited music museums in Germany with exhibitions on 600 m²
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and major.

• Neue Bachgesellschaft e.V.coreOthersThe Neue Bachgesellschaft (New Bach Society), founded in 1900 in Leipzig with approximately 3,000 members worldwide, is the sole shareholder and owner of Bachhaus Eisenach. The museum was founded by the society in 1907 as the world's first Bach museum, with the mandate to 'collect and preserve everything relating to Johann Sebastian Bach and his life's work.' The society also provides performance materials for music hire.
• Landesstelle für die nichtstaatlichen Museen in BayernsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiated and provided technical support for the 'Bausteinkasten für Museumswebsites' (Modular System for Museum Websites) used by Bachhaus.
• Thüringen-entdecken.desupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerTourism marketing platform linking Bachhaus to visitors exploring Thuringia.
• Berlin Dom (Berliner Dom)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular partner for collaborative Bach exhibitions including 'Die Berliner Bach-Familie' (2020, 2025), 'Best of Bach' (2019), 'Luther, Bach – und die Juden' (2016, 2017), and 'Bach in Berlin' (2015).
• Jerusalem Bach FestivalsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBachhaus has participated in multiple Jerusalem Bach festivals including exhibitions on Bach's St Matthew Passion (2016), h-Moll-Messe (2017), Jerusalem festival presence (2018, 2026, and others), and Piano Festival participation (2025).
• Lippmann+Rau-MusikarchivsupportingOthersJazz archive in Eisenach lending items to Bachhaus including a Benny Goodman clarinet for the 'Inspiration and Popularization' exhibition section showing Bach's influence on jazz.
• 360 Grad Thüringer Wald erlebensupportingTechnology or IntegrationVirtual reality project providing the 3D tour of Bachhaus, accessible through the museum's website.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Deutsches Museum München: One of the world's oldest and largest science and technology museums in Munich. Broad incumbent in the German museum landscape, comparable as a major German museum institution but operating on a vastly larger scale and broader subject remit.
• Salzburg Museum: Broader cultural history museum in Salzburg covering art, history, and musical heritage including Mozart-related collections. Broad incumbent museum with overlapping music heritage content but wider thematic scope than Bachhaus.

Direct peers

• Haus der Musik Vienna: Interactive sound and music museum in Vienna operated by the Vienna Philharmonic, combining historical exhibits with multimedia installations. Comparable as a music-focused museum employing modern interpretive technology alongside historical content.
• Musikinstrumenten-Museum Berlin: Berlin's Musical Instruments Museum, part of the State Museums of Berlin, with a collection of historical musical instruments. Direct peer as a museum focused primarily on historical musical instruments with comparable exhibition scope to Bachhaus's instrument hall.
• Händel-Haus Halle: Composer birthplace museum in Halle dedicated to George Frideric Handel, with permanent exhibitions, concert programming on historical instruments, and a music history focus. Direct peer as a German composer birthplace museum with similar programming and institutional structure.
• Beethoven-Haus Bonn: Composer birthplace museum in Germany dedicated to Beethoven, with a similar combination of historic birthplace building, museum exhibition, archive/library, music-related events, and shop. Operates as a non-profit foundation in Bonn with a comparable mission to preserve and present a single composer's legacy.
• Mozart's Birthplace (Mozarts Geburtshaus): Composer birthplace museum in Salzburg dedicated to Mozart, housed in a historic building with original-period rooms, exhibitions, concerts, and museum shop. Closely comparable in scale, format, and target audience to Bachhaus Eisenach.
• Robert Schumann House Zwickau: Composer birthplace museum in Zwickau dedicated to Robert Schumann, with permanent exhibitions, concerts, and educational programs. Direct peer as a German composer-focused museum of similar scale and programming mix.
• Richard Wagner Museum Bayreuth: Composer museum in Bayreuth dedicated to Richard Wagner, housed in a historic villa (Wahnfried) with exhibitions, archives, and event programming. Comparable as a German composer-focused museum combining a historic building, exhibitions, and cultural event programming.

Others

• Bach-Archiv Leipzig: International research center for Bach scholarship in Leipzig, holding the Bach manuscript collection and serving as the international Bach research hub. Related organization in the Bach ecosystem, comparable mission of preserving Bach's legacy but operating primarily as a research institution rather than a museum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BachhausEisenach
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bachhaus-eisenach

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Bachhaus Eisenach