Exhibition “World of the Nibelungs” — Andreasstift Museum

Worms and the Nibelungen Saga

Hardly any other city is as closely associated with a literary saga as Worms is with the Nibelungenlied. The heroic epic of the High Middle Ages, which found its well-known written form in the early 13th century, has central plot points in the Worms royal court — Siegfried's wooing of Kriemhild, the quarrel of the queens, Siegfried's murder. This cultural anchoring shapes the city's self-image to this day.

Closure of the Nibelungen Museum

With the closure of the Nibelungen Museum in November 2024, a gap emerged in the city's tourist and cultural offerings. The Museum der Stadt Worms in the Andreasstift fills this gap from Summer 2026 with a new permanent exhibition, which serves as both an interim solution and a conceptual reorientation.

Exhibition Concept

“World of the Nibelungs” adopts a multi-layered approach: Originals from the Worms collections — sculptures, prints, illustrated editions of the Nibelungenlied from the 19th century to the present, theater posters from the festivals — are combined with illustrations from eight centuries of reception and media installations. A Nibelungen cinema shows film excerpts; interactive stations invite children and families to explore.

The Andreasstift as a Historical Setting

The Museum der Stadt Worms is housed in the Romanesque Andreasstift — one of the most beautiful preserved collegiate complexes in Rheinhessen. The architecture of the 11th to 13th centuries provides a worthy setting for the exhibition and underscores the historical depth of the building, which also houses the permanent collection on the city's and region's history.