Museum grounds with Lochmann House, the green façade of the new building, and the ash tree commemorating the museum’s inauguration.

Mission statement

Museum Starnberger See (Lake Starnberg Museum) is the town museum – a public institution open to society at large and an important space of development and reflection for the dynamic, forward-looking town of Starnberg and the surrounding region. Of course, the museum also attracts and welcomes visitors from elsewhere.

Following a public campaign, the museum was founded in 1914 on the grounds of a historical estate and the area inhabited by the first settlers of the town. Nowadays, it comprises an ensemble of buildings and outdoor areas, including Lochmann House, the new museum building, the garden with a historical outhouse, and an archaeological monument commemorating St Benedict’s Church demolished in the 18th century.

The Museum Starnberger See maintains a historically evolved collection of regional everyday objects and fine art. Three special items in its collection are regarded as hallmarks of the museum. Studying and conserving these objects and explaining them to the public are among the museum’s core tasks.

Lochmann House is known to have been in its current location since at least 1520. Its historical function as not just a manor house but also a farmhouse and a fisherman’s home is unique. Lochmann House is both an exhibit in its own right and a museum building with an important, contemporary function within the concept of the Museum Starnberger See.

The Female Saint of Starnberg is an outstanding sculpture dating back to 1755 by Ignaz Günther, the foremost Bavarian rococo sculptor. The name given to it by art historians has become an international cultural symbol of the town.

A boat named Delphin (The Dolphin) from 1835 is the last surviving vessel from the ceremonial fleet of the Bavarian dukes and kings. It represents centuries of royal sailing on Lake Starnberg.

Museum Starnberger See creates and presents permanent and temporary exhibitions, and invites visitors to projects and events in various formats in the museum and elsewhere. The permanent exhibitions convey history, art, and nature from the region to help visitors understand both the present day and intercultural references, and also as a source of future guidance.

The temporary exhibitions at the museum augment and deepen its thematic focus and tie in with current topics, developments and issues concerning society.

The museum’s responsibilities center around exhibiting and communicating. This entails the other traditional tasks of a museum, namely collection, conservation, and research.

Museum Starnberger See also addresses regional, national, and international matters. In order to continuously develop as society changes, it maintains an outlook which is receptive, enquiring, and looks to the future. In the spirit of active networking, it collaborates with other museums, cultural institutions, and educational establishments such as universities, colleges, research institutes, etc.

Over its existence spanning over a hundred years, the museum has grown into a diverse, lively place where knowledge, research and creativity blend with an inviting, stimulating atmosphere.

Museum Starnberger See fulfils its social responsibility in a well-founded, open, inclusive, and experimental manner. Its mission is to provide access to history, art, and culture. It’s a place for dialogue, the free formation of opinion, and equal cultural participation for all. Lake Starnberg Museum is committed to respectful communication and equal opportunities.