The new Gutenberg Museum

The Gutenberg Museum is a museum of national and international significance, with an influence that extends far beyond the borders of Mainz. With more than 140,000 visitors from all over the world every year, the Gutenberg Museum is one of the most popular attractions in Germany. As a unique feature of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate and its capital Mainz, it is a place shaped by local, national, European, and international identity. As the end and highlight of the "Gutenberg Trail," which follows in the footsteps of the inventor through downtown Mainz, the museum displays "live printing" in the reconstructed Gutenberg workshop and two original copies of the Gutenberg Bibles, the first—and for many also the most beautiful—book printed with movable type in the Western world.

After many years of reminders, pressure, and preparatory work, the Gutenberg Museum was in urgent need of renovation in order to be able to reposition itself in terms of content. The exhibition of its treasures was partly at the same level as in 1962, as was the furnishings of many rooms. With its largely unchanged infrastructure and only partially renovated permanent exhibition, the exhibition building on Liebfrauenplatz was therefore no longer able to meet the requirements of everyday museum life and remain competitive. At the same time, a recent fire safety report revealed significant deficiencies in the museum building.

Nevertheless, the Gutenberg Museum continued to make its mark with special exhibitions and presentations, playing an important role in cultural life both nationally and internationally. For example, it initiated the activities for Luther Year 2017 and the accession of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate to the Bauhaus Association of German States. Its award-winning typography exhibitions, most recently "FUTURA. Die Schrift" (2016-2017), were of international significance. The state capital of Mainz was therefore called upon to prevent a partial closure or even complete closure of the museum. The fire safety issue also presented an opportunity to change and sustainably improve the building as a whole. The museum was to be made fit for the future in all areas so that it could maintain and expand its place in the international museum landscape.

The Gutenberg Museum's exhibition operations at the Liebfrauenplatz location have been temporarily suspended. The interim location at the Natural History Museum (nhm) on Reichklarastraße opened on November 22, 2024.  

Architectural planning for the new building is continuing. In addition to the structural planning, the agency "facts and fiction" was commissioned to develop the scenography concept and museum-specific furnishings for the new exhibition design.

However, before the new building can be constructed, the existing building ("Schellbau") at Liebfrauenplatz must be demolished. There are various phases for the demolition and construction work, including, for example, the removal of hazardous materials and gutting of the Schellbau, or the above-ground demolition, which has already begun in part, as well as the integration of archaeology at the appropriate time.