Dommuseum Ottonianum Magdeburg

The Dommuseum Ottonianum Magdeburg stands opposite the towers of Magdeburg Cathedral in a former Reichsbank building on the Breiten Weg. The neoklassizistische structure was completed in 1923 by architect Philipp Nitze and survived the 1945 air raid largely intact. After serving as a bank through the 20th century, it now houses the city’s medieval treasures. The museum’s three themes focus on Emperor Otto the Great, the archbishopric of Magdeburg and recent archaeological finds.

The exhibition presents these themes through carefully staged displays rather than a strict timeline. Visitors see the lead coffin of Queen Editha, Mediterranean textiles from her burial and grave goods of Archbishops Wichmann von Seeburg and Otto von Hessen. A brick grave of Otto’s confidant from 963 and Roman-era building parts reused in the cathedral’s foundations are also on show. Interactive screens, short films and audio stations guide guests through the cathedral’s history from its beginnings to the present day.

The building itself is fully accessible, with lifts, wide corridors and a special audio guide for blind visitors. Inside the museum a café, shop and cloakroom occupy additional space. Outside, the cathedral’s twin towers rise across the street, while nearby museums cover regional history, art and natural science. The combination of modern presentation and historic setting makes the Dommuseum a clear destination for anyone interested in the city’s past.