Erich Kästner Museum

The Erich Kästner Museum has been located in Villa Augustin since its opening on February 23, 2000, Kästner’s 101st birthday.  Many aspects of this exemplary 20th century author’s life are presented, letting the visitor glimpse into Kästner’s modern and diverse personality.

Despite his many successes, Kästner is one of the miserable authors of modern literature.  He disguised himself, in his private life as well as in his work, in ever-changing alter egos, which eventually led to his loss of “face” behind the various “masks.”  His life ended in resignation, with his last few years being overshadowed by a creative crisis.  Yet, this situation is not a biographical coincidence but a direct result of the changes which took place in the media and the decrease in literature dealing with politics and society.

This new museum concept takes into account the fact that modern museums have only limited resources at their disposal.  The idea behind the exhibit is to present as much information as possible in a minimum amount of space with a perpetually expanding database.  With new methods of information brokering, the museum aims to inspire its guests to discover the complex world of Kästner in a creative way; fun and wondering are in the foreground of the discovery process.