Stadtmuseum Eupen

Stadtmuseum Eupen is the city museum of Eupen, a town in the German-speaking Community of Belgium, dedicated to the history of the town and the wider East Belgium region. It occupies the historic Haus de Ru's building at Gospertstraße 52-54, where it has operated since 1980. After an eight-year renovation, the museum reopened in January 2019 with a new modern extension that connects the old building's structure to exhibition spaces built to contemporary museum standards.

What does the permanent exhibition cover?

The core of the exhibition traces Eupen's rise as a center of the cloth-making trade. From the 17th century onward, the town's prosperity was closely tied to this industry — merchants and craftsmen involved in producing and trading woollen textiles shaped Eupen's economic standing in the region. The museum shows how this industry influenced everyday life: work routines, home furnishings, and religious and festive customs of the local population.

What can visitors see on display?

The exhibition combines everyday objects with archival documents and reconstructed interiors. Highlights include a collection of clocks, 19th and 20th-century pottery from nearby Raeren, and a reconstructed bourgeois living room from around 1900 that illustrates how a well-off family's home might have looked at the time. A separate section is devoted to a fashion collection spanning 1805 to 1975, tracing changing styles of dress across nearly two centuries, alongside a goldsmith's workshop and a pipe collection. Exhibits tied directly to the wool industry round out the story of the town's economic roots.

Does the museum host temporary exhibitions?

Beyond its permanent collection, Stadtmuseum Eupen regularly organizes themed exhibitions, showcases of work by local artists, and smaller cultural events and participatory projects. This makes the museum function not only as a place to view historical collections but also as an active hub of cultural life in Eupen, worth revisiting on later trips to the town.

Where exactly is the museum located?

The building stands at Gospertstraße 52-54 in the center of Eupen, close to the town's main shopping street, making it an easy stop while walking through the old town.

Frequently asked questions

What are the opening hours? The museum welcomes visitors Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00, and on Saturdays from 8:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 15:00. It is closed on Sundays.

How can visitors contact the museum? Phone inquiries can be made at +32 87 74 00 05.

What should visitors prioritize seeing? Those interested in regional history should look for the reconstructed turn-of-the-century living room and the fashion collection spanning nearly two centuries — exhibits that best capture the character of old, cloth-trading Eupen.

Is there anything architecturally notable about the building? Yes — the combination of the historic Haus de Ru's with the new wing added during the renovation completed in 2019 shows how older town architecture can coexist with a modern museum extension.