Stepping back to 18th-century Leipzig, discovering Baroque music and immersing yourself in the world of the great composer are the best reasons for visiting the Bach Museum Leipzig.
Leipzig is Bach Central. There is also an excellent Bach Museum in Eisenach, his birthplace in Thuringia, and a smaller one in Arnstadt. But the Leipzig Bach Museum has the best collection of Bach memorabilia, and is across the street from the church where he worked the final 27 years of his life, and when he was at his creative peak.
In this article I’ll show you everything there is to see in the Bach Museum in Leipzig, and cover all the practicalities of visiting it, including its location, opening times and ticket prices. I also show you more Bach-related sights in Leipzig, and suggest other places to visit in the city, which I rate one of the best to visit in Germany. I hope you find it helpful.
What To See At The Bach Museum Leipzig
The Building
The townhouse in which the Museum is located was home to the Bose family, who were close friends of Bach. Like many buildings in central Leipzig, it has a large central inner courtyard, which parts of the Museum overlook.
Bach and his family lived in the Thomasschule (St Thomas School) during his long tenure in Leipzig. This was located on the same square as the Museum and Thomaskirche – where the choir sang – but demolished in 1902.
Bach’s Family History
Johann Sebastian wasn’t the only musical Bach. The Bach family were very influential throughout the 18th and well into the 19th centuries, and this is explained in the Bach family tree section of the Museum.
Of the other musical Bachs, the most widely known is his son Carl Philip Emanuel Bach, whose compositions helped influence later Romantic music. He was known as the Berlin Bach and later the Hamburg Bach, to distinguish him from his younger brother Johann Christian Bach, the ‘London Bach’ on account of his post as music teacher to Queen Charlotte.
Johann Sebastian’s grandson Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst Bach, son of Carl Philip Emanuel, was the last in the family line to work as a composer. He died in 1845.
An Organ Played By Bach
The organ which is the focal point of the next room of the exhibition was actually played by Johann Sebastian Bach himself.
It was made for the Johanniskirche (St John’s Church), next to the cemetery where Bach and his wife, Anna Magdalena Bach, were buried some years later. It was installed in 1743, and Bach was soon invited to play it and offer his opinion on it. His impression is believed to have been very positive.
The church in which it was installed was later destroyed during an Allied bombing raid in 1943, and the organ also sustained serious damage. It was restored in the 2000s, and is the one surviving instrument we can be sure that Bach himself played.
There is also a display of Baroque period instruments, including the violone (pictured) from the Nikolaikirche, which was made in 1672. The ‘Wall Orchestra’ is also interesting as lights illuminate each instrument as it is being played. A great beginner’s guide to Baroque music.
The Thomas School Where Bach Taught
The Thomasschule building where Bach lived and taught was demolished in the early 20th century. It was just a few metres from the Museum and the Thomkaskirche. There’s a scale model of the building (see image above) which helps you picture the area in Bach’s time.
However, the exhibit on the School gives plenty of insights into life there, for Bach and his pupils. There is a series of pull-out School Rules, including the image above. Pupils would be expected to go to bed around 8.30 pm, then rising at 5.00 am in summer (an hour later in winter), and getting ready for morning prayer within 15 minutes of waking up.
I hope they are a little easier on the choristers nowadays!
Bach in Leipzig
This room takes you back to the time Bach lived in Leipzig, between 1723 and 1750. The floor map shows that many places from his time still exist today.
The listening posts around the room immerse you in 18th-century Leipzig. You can hear a rehearsal in the Thomaskirche, performances of some of his works, and an imagined coffee break in his favoured haunt, Café Zimmermann.
Interactive Instruments
For me, one of the most enjoyable exhibits in the Museum is the small room with a few implements that Bach would have used to create background sounds in his compositions.
Several items are arranged on a small wooden table. These include a small bell, what appears to be a tuning fork or something similar, a globe which you pull up from the table, which creates a sound like a pulley being used, a small hand-held watch and a large turning mechanism that creates a grinding sound.
This is one of the best parts of the Bach Museum for kids, and anyone who enjoys hands-on exhibits.
The Room of Treasures
The best is saved for last with a collection of the greatest Bach-related treasures held by the Museum and Archive.
These include several original scores hand-written by Bach, and what is regarded by many as the definitive portrait of Bach, by Elias Gottlob Haussmann from 1748. It’s one of just two portraits confirmed to be of the composer – the other was by the same painter, and completed two years earlier. The 1748 painting was bequeathed to the Museum in 2015 by American musicologist William H Scheide.
Where Is The Bach Museum In Leipzig
The Bach Museum address is Thomaskirchhof 15/16 04109 Leipzig.
The Museum is located directly opposite the Thomaskirche (St Thomas Church) where Bach was Kantor (Choirmaster).
It’s also only a minute’s walk from the Markt, the main square in the centre of historic Leipzig.
How To Get To The Bach Museum Leipzig
The centre of Leipzig is surprisingly small, and the Museum is only a 15-minute walk from the main train station (Hauptbahnhof).
Alternatively, trams 9 and 16 stop at Thomaskirche, only a 100-metre walk from the Museum. Bus 89 – the one bus which runs around the historic centre – also stops there, and at the Leipzig Markt stop the other side of the church.
You can also catch the U2 (red line) U-Bahn train to Markt from the Hauptbahnhof, or the U1 blue line. The station is again only around 100 metres from the Museum.
Leipzig Bach Museum Opening Hours And Tickets
The Museum is open Tuesdays to Sundays and public holidays from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm.
Tickets are €10.00 for adults, with €8.00 for seniors and concessions. Under-16s visit for free.
Where To Stay In Leipzig
Here is my pick of the best places to stay in Leipzig. All of them are located in the Mitte district, no more than a 10-minute walk from the Bach Museum Leipzig.
***** – Steigenberger Icon Grandhotel Handelshof Leipzig – the longest hotel name in Leipzig, and the most luxurious place in the city, less than 5 minutes’ walk from the Bach Museum
**** – Hotel Fregehaus – my favourite Leipzig hotel, beautifully designed and set in a gorgeous 16th-century townhouse with courtyard
**** – Brera Leipzig – aparthotel in historic building in great location between the Bach Museum and Stasi Museum
*** – Motel One Leipzig Nikolaikirche – design hotel in superb location opposite the church where the protests that brought down the Communists began
Bach In Leipzig – Other Places To See
You only have to step outside the Museum to see the other main Bach sights in Leipzig.
The statue of Bach outside the Thomaskirche was erected in 1908. Also known as the Neues Bach Denkmal (New Bach Monument) the statue is the work of Carl Seffner. The Old Bach Monument (Altes Bach Denkmal) can be found 50 metres away on the corner of Dittrichring.
The Thomaskirche Leipzig is the church most closely associated with Bach. It is where he worked as Kantor (Choirmaster), directing the prestigious Thomanerchor (St Thomas Choir), which was already over 500 years old when he joined in 1723.
He directed the choir until his death in 1750, and after initially being interred elsewhere, was eventually reburied in the chancel of St Thomas Church in 1950. The Thomaskirche is a classic late Gothic hall church, and regardless of its Bach connection would be well worth a visit. You can also climb the church’s tower for a great view over the city – and you can book your Thomaskirche tower tour here.
Bach and the Thomanerchor also performed elsewhere in the city, most notably in the Nikolaikirche Leipzig, a few minutes’ walk away across the historic centre. The exterior of the church is very similar to how it was in Bach’s lifetime, but he wouldn’t recognize the interior, which was completely remodelled in the 1780s and 1790s by Johann Carl Friedrich Dauthe. The protest movement that eventually brought down the Communist East German (GDR) regime had its origins in weekly prayer meetings held in the church since the early 1980s.
It’s almost certain that Bach would have also visited Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum, a Leipzig coffee house open continuously since 1711 (except when we visited, as it was closed for restoration!). He was a regular at Café Zimmermann, which inspired his Coffee Cantata in the 1730s. Check out this version by the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir.
Visiting the Bach Museum Leipzig – Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a Bach aficionado or, like me, someone with a limited knowledge of the composer and his work, I think visiting the Bach Museum Leipzig is very worthwhile. Even if you only have one day in Leipzig, I recommend an hour or so visiting the Museum, which is conveniently across the square from the Thomaskirche, the church most closely associated with him.
What I particularly like about the Bach Museum is that I learned about Johann Sebastian himself, and the Leipzig (and world) in which he lived. An old girlfriend more familiar with his work once described Bach as ‘a bit hey nonny nonny’ and in this Museum I finally understood what she meant. Many of his works have a distinct Baroque period sound, particularly the instrumentation – which is evident from the pieces played in the Museum. Some of his works have also been rearranged over the centuries, removing the Baroque emphasis, including his famous Air on a G String.
Even without the Bach attractions, Leipzig would one of the best places to visit in eastern Germany. It’s somewhere that deserves two full days if you have the time available – but even one day in Leipzig gives you a great overview of the city. Take a look at more of my articles on Leipzig, including my guide to the best Leipzig landmarks, visiting Leipzig City History Museum, and the Stasi Museum Leipzig, which is only a 5-minute walk from the Bach Museum.
For more fascinating places to visit in Germany, take a look at the following articles:
15 Best Day Trips from Leipzig – Dresden and no less than nine World Heritage Sites within easy reach
27 Best Places To Visit in Germany – from Hamburg to Heidelberg, Cologne to Quedlinburg and many more
One Day In Dresden – a day in the rebuilt Florence on the Elbe
Things To Do In Quedlinburg – the stunning World Heritage town with over 2,000 medieval half-timbered houses
Visiting Nuremberg Toy Museum – one of the best toy museums in the world
Things To Do In Meissen – one of the most beautiful places to visit on the River Elbe
30 Best Places To Visit On The River Elbe – one of the great European rivers from source to sea
Visiting Naumburg Cathedral – World Heritage masterpiece, home to perhaps the most beautiful statue from the Middle Ages
One Day In Nuremberg – 24 Hours In The Imperial City
Bacharach Germany – one of the most enchanting villages in the Rhine Valley
21 Best Berlin Landmarks – the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Wall and many more
15 Best Berlin Cold War Sites To Visit – where to find remnants of the Berlin Wall and the Cold War
26 Best Things to Do In Trier – a detailed guide to the oldest city in Germany, including another great Toy Museum
20 Best Rhine River Castles – the best castles in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley World Heritage Site
One Day In Hamburg – 24 hours in Germany’s great port city