Carl and Gerhart Hauptmann House

The Carl and Gerhart Hauptmann House in Szklarska Poręba (SHKLAR-ska po-REM-ba) is a museum in the former home of two German writers, the Hauptmann brothers. Around 1900 it was the heart of an artists' colony in what was then Schreiberhau. Gerhart, who won the 1912 Nobel Prize in Literature, wrote The Weavers here. His brother Carl, author of the Rübezahl Book of mountain-spirit tales, lived here until his death. Today it is a branch of the Karkonosze Museum, with a free park around it.

Where it is

Szklarska Poręba is a mountain resort in Poland's Karkonosze (Giant Mountains), close to the Czech border. Before 1945 the region was part of Germany and the town was called Schreiberhau. The museum stands at ul. 11 Listopada 23 in the Szklarska Poręba Średnia district, next to the railway line. Wrocław, the nearest big city and airport, is roughly two hours away by car, and direct trains from Wrocław run to Szklarska Poręba.

History

In September 1890, after a mountain hike, Carl and Gerhart Hauptmann decided to settle here. They bought an old farmhouse with about 7.5 hectares of land in the "Valley of Seven Houses" for 12,500 marks. Both families moved in in August 1891. According to a plaque from 1926, Gerhart wrote The Weavers, Hannele, Drayman Henschel and The Beaver Coat in this house. He later moved to his villa Wiesenstein in nearby Agnetendorf (now Jagniątków), built in 1901. Carl stayed until he died in 1921.

From 1936 the house held an exhibition on the writers and the artists' colony. After World War II the last German families left, and the collection was dispersed. The building served as a Polish writers' retreat, a children's rehabilitation ward and apartments. The town handed it to the regional museum in 1987, and the museum opened in 1995 after a full renovation.

What to see

• Memorabilia of both brothers and the story of the German artists' colony.
• Landscapes by the St. Luke artists' association, a group of painters based in Schreiberhau before the war.
• A gallery of Wlastimil Hofman, a painter who settled in the town after 1945.
• Postwar and contemporary art, mainly from the local "Nowy Młyn" group.
• The Mountain Spirit Park, laid out by Carl Hauptmann and restored in 2011. It has exotic conifers and a replica of Carl's majolica tombstone, designed by architect Hans Poelzig. The park is open 24 hours and free.

Tickets and opening hours (as of October 2026)

• October 1–April 30: Tuesday–Sunday 9:00 am–4:00 pm.
• May 1–September 30: Tuesday–Sunday 9:00 am–5:00 pm.
• Closed on Mondays. The ticket desk closes 30 minutes before closing time.
• Tickets: 18 PLN (Polish złoty), reduced 10 PLN. On Wednesdays the permanent exhibitions are free, and temporary shows cost 3 PLN.
• Contact: +48 75 717 26 11, kontakt@muzeumdomhauptmannow.pl.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, if you are interested in German literature, the cultural history of Silesia or landscape painting. It also makes a good rainy-day option in the mountains. Allow one to two hours, plus a walk in the park. Exhibition texts are mainly in Polish, so check at the desk whether other languages are available. Nearby you can see Szklarka Waterfall, the Chybotek rocking stone and the Gerhart Hauptmann House in Jagniątków.