The roots of the collections' holdings date back the day of the electors Carl Philipp and Carl Theodor in the 18th century. Today the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen have established themselves as an internationally operating complex of museums, an outstanding venue for exhibitions and a major center of research.

1731

The roots of the collections’ holdings date back the day of the electors Carl Philipp and Carl Theodor. They lay the foundation for the painting gallery, the drawing and print collection, the cabinet of natural curiosities, the numismatic collection, the antiquities collection, the cabinet of scientific curiosities and the treasure chamber.

1777/78

The Zeughaus, the centerpiece of the rem, is an armory built under Elector Carl Theodor following master builder Peter Anton von Verschaffelt’s designs. It is one of the most important monuments of early German neoclassicism in the quadratic city.

Find out more about our founder families

1859

The holdings of the Mannheimer Altertumsverein (Mannheim Historical Society), founded in 1859, are merged with the grand duke’s antiquarium to form the combined antiquities collections.

1868

Wilhelm Reiss embarks on his eight-year expedition through South America.

1879

Carl and Anna Reiss travel to Egypt for the first time.

1893

Their trip around the world by way of China and Japan takes them as far as North America. The Reiss siblings bring extensive assortments of travel photographs back from their travels to their hometown, which now constitute the foundation of collection of historical travel photographs of the Forum Internationale Photographie.

1905

The Stadtgeschichtliches Museum (Museum of City History) opens on L1.

1908

Mannheim’s Zeughaus is primarily used as a museum of natural history as of 1908.

1926

The Mannheimer Schlossmuseum (Mannheim Palace Museum) opens. All electoral, then, grand ducal and, finally, Baden state collections are bequeathed to the city.

1936

The Theatermuseum (Theater Museum) opens on E7.

ab 1946

The building suffered major damage in World War II. Its reconstruction commences in 1946.

1957

The Reiss Museum opens in the Zeughaus.

1988

The addition to the Reiss Museum opens on D5. The present Museum Weltkulturen (World Cultures Museum) is built following designs drafted by architect Carlfried Mutschler and artist Erwin Bechtold.

2001

By resolution of the Mannheim City Council, the Reiß Museum is renamed Reiss-Engelhorn Museums in 2001 in reference to the Engelhorn founding families.

The Curt-Engelhorn-Stiftung (Curt Engelhorn Foundation) for the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen is established. 

2002

The Forum Internationale Photographie (International Photography Forum) is established.

2003

The new Curt-Engelhorn-Zentrum für Kunst- und Kulturgeschichte (Curt Engelhorn Institute Center of Art and Cultural History) is established.

2004

The Curt-Engelhorn-Zentrum Archäometrie gGmbH (Curt Engelhorn Archaeometry Center gGmbH) is founded.

2005

ZEPHYR – Raum für Fotografie is established.

2007

The Museum Zeughaus reopens after three years of complete renovation.

2008

The Bassermann-Kulturstiftung Mannheim (Bassermann Cultural Foundation Mannheim) is established.

2010

The Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen funded by the city formally receives the status of a state museum. The Klaus-Tschira-Labor für physikalische Altersbestimmung
(Klaus Tschira Physical Dating Laboratory) opens.

2011

The Museum Bassermannhaus für Musik und Kunst opens.

2012

Museum Management Mannheim GmbH (MMM) is founded.

2013

The rem gGmbH, now the rem gGmbH Stiftungmuseen, is founded. The Brombeeren-Stiftung is established.

2014

The University of Hohenheim’s dendrochronological collection is taken over by a new laboratory of the Curt-Engelhorn-Zentrum Archäometrie gGmbH.
The exhibition „Ägypten – Land der Unsterblichkeit“ (Egypt: Land of Immortality) opens. The rem’s creation of a department of ancient Egyptian art and cultural history of its own establishes a new facility for ancient Egypt in the German museum scene in Mannheim.

2016

The bioarchaeolgy unit at the Curt-Engelhorn-Zentrum Archäometrie gGmbH is expanded.

2017

The Villa Poensgen branch is established at Heidelberg University with the “Geschichte und Kulturelles Erbe” (History and Cultural Heritage) research unit. The new museum storage facility built in Mannheim-Mallau by the Brombeeren-Stiftung commences operation.

2019

The cornerstone of the Museum Peter und Traudl Engelhornhaus is laid.

2020

The renovation work on the landmarked “Raschighaus”, headquarters of the Curt-Engelhorn-Zentrum Archäometrie gGmbH, concludes.

2023

The Museum Peter & Traudl Engelhornhaus opens.