Nibelungen Museum Worms

Most of the scenes of the Song of the Nibelungs take place either in Worms itself or in its surroundings. This is also why the city plays an important role in the perception of the Nibelungenlied for centuries.

Due to longstanding considerations in order to appreciate the importance of the city Worms as most important setting of the legend the city commissioned an expert opinion in July 1996. Especially one specific well preserved section of the medieval fortifications was taken into consideration. This is because of its authenticity and the convenient location between the Worms Cathedral and the Rhine promenade with its Hagendenkmal.

The decision of the city council was made in February 1997 in favour of the concept of the agency Auber + Hoge & associés (A+H) in Paris.

According to archeological finds in the excavation area in early 1999, nothing was standing in the way of the construction of the estimated 4.5 million Euro total cost of the museum. Meanwhile, the project was facing increased criticism from parts of Worms’ public. This was reflected in a polarizing debate in local media which went on for months. A citizens' initiative brought the construction to a halt with the help of a successful public petition. In the following referendum on September 12, 1999, a majority of the voters answered “no” to the question: "Do you want a Nibelungen museum to be built in Worms along the city wall, which would be financed by public funding worth millions and would mean that funding for further meaningful projects would not be available anymore?". With 22% the participation failed to reach the required quorum of the Rheinland-Pfalz. This is why the groundbreaking ceremony could take place on November 18, 1999. The Nibelungen Museum Worms was opened on August 18, 2001, after an almost two-year construction period.

In the Tower of Vision the visitors are presented to the main aspects of the saga, including its origins and historical context. At the same time it also traces the history of reception, which ranges from mythification to the declaration of the saga as a “national myth”. The narrator helps to “record the invisible threads, which during all the centuries linked together” [translated from German]. The Tower of Vision is installed in one of the medieval defense towers and is dominated by a high, oscillating iron pendulum in the form of a spindle, around which the spiral stairs are arranged. Glowing pictures are attached to the ribs of the sparkling, golden spindle, representing the “Rütlin” (little rod), which is the talisman of the Nibelungen treasure.

The Audio Tower is laid out as the scriptorium of the narrator. Here, visitors can sit on audio chairs and listen to passages from the original song, spoken in Middle High German and translated simultaneously. Visitors also learn about the contemporary everyday culture and high culture, which have influenced the author of the Song of The Nibelungs. Pictures, which visitors could also see in the Tower of Vision function as illustrations of the text passages and are now explained in more detail.

The “Myth Lab”, which is located in an underground room, provides visitors with the opportunity for quiet contemplation after the two-hour tour through the museum. The entire text by the anonymous poet can be accessed again here, and the Rütelin, a 17,5m column of pictures located in the Tower of Vision, is graphically depicted and can be viewed from all sides and angles. An internet search function is provided for student groups to research information for presentations or the like, and several flash movies and short documentaries can also be found there. The documentaries deal with the themes of Worms, modern and classic myths, and the Nibelungenlied. In addition, a “master terminal” and a ceiling projector provide presenters with the option of adding and presenting their own content.

The “myth lab” is also used for varying special presentations.