Albrecht Dürer, Nürnberg

Albrecht Dürer is arguably Nürnberg’s most famous son. The artist was born, lived, and died in the city, although he was well known for his travels to Italy and other parts of Europe.

Dürer is buried in the Johannisfriedhof, which is located west of the city center, outside the city walls. To find the cemetery, you can walk out of the Neutor (the gate to the southwest of the Dürer House – follow the wall from the house until you come to the first gate – note this is NOT the gate in front of the house). Once outside the Neutor, the road directly across the street is Johannisstrasse. Simply follow this road for about 10 minutes and the cemetery will be on the left side of the street.

Once at the cemetery, there are signs at each of the entrances with maps indicating the location of the famous graves, including Albrecht Dürer’s. His is not hard to find – it is near one of the few trees in the cemetery and there is a large rose bush beside his tomb. Most likely there will be people near the grave.

The cemetery is unique with its raised tombs with plaques on top, rather than traditional headstones. The bronze plaques on Dürer’s grave mention his importance and even have his signature stamp from his engravings and paintings on the plaque.

I came across this sculpture of a sickly looking rabbit situated in the area near the Dürer House. Initially I figured it was based on Albrecht Dürer’s beautiful watercolor of a realistic looking rabbit done in 1502 (Young Hare), but on closer inspection, the only thing that resembled the painting is the fact that both have a rabbit in them.

After some research, I still don’t really understand this bronze sculpture, created in 1984 by Jürgen Goertz and named Der Hase (The Hare). The rabbit seems to have staggered and fallen over or out of a wooden crate with several smaller rabbits coming out of the crate as well. He looks ill. But then looking closely, the rabbit doesn’t have it as bad as the human that is under him (see my photo with the human foot underneath the rabbit’s foot).

In front of the statue is a much smaller, more abstract, rabbit with the plague identifying the name of this piece and Jürgen Goertz as the artist.

The statue is located near the Tiergartentor (Tier Garden/Zoo gate).

Albrecht Dürer is one of the best artists of the Renaissance, known around the world not only for his paintings but for his engravings. He was born in Nürnberg in 1471, learned how to be a goldsmith from his father, studied painting with Michael Wolgemut, made his fortune, and died in Nürnberg in 1528.

The large house where this wealthy artist lived and worked from 1509-1528 is not too far from Kaiserburg and the Tiergarten. This half-timbered and stone house was built in 1420 and is now a popular tourist attraction with artifacts that date back to Dürer’s time, such as a printing press which would be similar to what he used with his engravings. There are copies of works by Dürer in the house, but no originals which are all in museums around the world. (Note: To see original works by Dürer in Nürnberg, visit the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, although his more famous works can be found in nearby Munich at the Alte Pinokothek.)

Dürer’s house in Nürnberg now belongs to the city who is responsible for its maintenance and management. The house was damaged in October 1944 but was rebuilt afterwards. It was not until 1971 on the 500th anniversary of Dürer’s birth that it opened as a museum. Tours are provided by an actress who portrays Dürer’s wife, Agnes (English guided tours are every Saturday at 1400). During the tour (guided or audio guide) visitors see reconstructions of Dürer’s home and workshop.

The Albrecht Dürer House is open Tuesday – Friday 1000-1700, Thursdays 1000-1600, Saturday-Sunday 1000-1800. It is closed on Mondays except during December’s Christmas market season when it is open on Mondays from 1000-1700.

Admission is €5/person with discounts for students and families. However, the Dürer House is part of Nürnberg’s museum pass program in which, for an additional €2,50 patrons can upgrade their ticket and get into many other municipal museums in the city on the same day for free (see list on below website).

For exact location of the museum, see my Googlemap.

Nürnberg’s favorite son, Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer, is memorialized with a bronze statue that sits high on a rectangular pedestal in the Dürerplatz near the St. Sebaldus Church. The statue was designed by German sculptor Christian Daniel Rauch and was cast in bronze by another German sculptor, Jakob Daniel Burgschmiet. The statue was unveiled in 1984 for the 300th anniversary of Dürer’s death.

Dürer was well-known for painting many self-portraits during his lifetime so it would not have been too difficult to come up with a good likeness of this artist who led Germany in Renaissance art.

The statue is located in the middle of Albrecht Dürer Platz. See my Googlemap for exact location.

This house shows the living and working quarters of the great artist Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528). There are no original Dürer paintings here, but a number of copies and reproductions, and a lot of information about his life and career.

And about how he mixed his paint, for example. You wouldn't believe all the things he mixed in to get the colors he wanted. (Suffice it to say some of them smelled pretty bad.)

Admission to Dürer's house costs EUR 5.00 for adults, or EUR 3.00 for those who get a reduction (prices as of 2013). Included in the admission fee is the use of an audio guide, on which Dürer's wife, Agnes Dürer, explains the various rooms of the house and what went on there while she and her husband were alive. I only heard the German version, but the audio guide is also available in English, French, Italian and Japanese.

These narrations are very nicely done, I must admit, but if you are as impatient as I am you might find some of them a bit long-winded. In this case just push the STOP button on the audio guide, go on to the next room and type in the number of the recording for that room.

If you intend to go to more than one museum in Nürnberg on the same day, by all means ask about a combination ticket. Often it is possible to visit two or more museums for the price of one.

The Durer Pirckheimer Fountain is also known as the "Friendship Fountain."
It was 1821, and the 350th Birthday anniversay of Albrech Durer when this Fountain was erected. Why it's called the Friendship Fountain is because of two important men from Nuremberg who were friends. Albrecht Durer and Willibald Pirckheimer can be seen on the bronze medallions of the Fountain. The fountain basin is fed by two water-spouting lions faces.

Albrecht Dürer (21 May 1471 – 6 April 1528) was a German painter, printmaker and theorist from Nuremberg. His prints established his reputation across Europe when he was still in his twenties, and he has been conventionally regarded as the greatest artist of the Northern Renaissance ever since. The bronze statue was designed by Christian Daniel Rauch in 1840 and sits atop a rectangular stone column.

March 2012

This beautiful square has wonderful old Franconian houses, Durer's House, a slaughtered hare statue, a well. There is a wonderful viewpoint over this square from the castle gardens. You can access the castle from here by going up the steps or through the archway, though that is a much longer route.

The famous artist Durer's house is on this square and there is a statue of him down the hill a bit on Durerplatz.

Albrecht Duerer’s House in Nuremberg is now a museum. Duerer was a famous German (Renaissance) artist who lived from 1471 to 1528. As well as showing many of his works, this museum also has a workshop showing the various artistic techniques he used in his works. Visitors can tour the house with the aid of an audio guide in five languages, explaining the rooms, furnishings, and about the artist himself. The house itself is noteworthy, being half-timbered.

In this sandstone/half-timbered house near the Tiergärtnertor square, south of the Kaiserburg, Albrecht Dürer, the most influential artist of the German renaissance, lived and worked since 1420. Dürer is famous for his graphic art, woodcuts, water paintings, and theoretical treatises on perspective and proportions in art. Among his best-known works are "A piece of turf", "Hare", "Knight, Death, and Devil", "Melancholia", and "The Rhinoceros" (part of his work can be seen in the "Germanisches Nationalmuseum" in Nürnberg). The Dürerhaus is open Tueday to Sunday and shows the living rooms of the Dürer family as well as the artist`s workplace.

‘A Young Hare’ is one of the best Durer's watercolors and gouaches on paper. It has become the symbol of Dürer.
‘A Young Hare’ is painted for the sheer enjoyment that Dürer experienced in creating images and it is this pleasure that we experience when looking at it.

A bronze sculpture by Jürgen Goertz showing the world-famous Dürer Hare stands in Tiergärtnertorplatz since 1984. The work is to be interpreted as a provocation of Dürer's work that has been reproduced millions of times.

Durer's monument in Nuremberg's city center is a 19th century statue perched atop a rectangular stone column.
Albrecht Dürer - the great citizen of Nuremberg deserved this monument without doubt.
Dürer was born on 21 May 1471 in Nuremberg. He was a third child and second son of his parents, who had between fourteen and eighteen children. His father was a successful goldsmith, originally named Ajtósi, who in 1455 had moved to Nuremberg from Ajtós, near Gyula in Hungary.
Initially, it was "Thürer," meaning doormaker, which is "ajtós" in Hungarian (from "ajtó", meaning door).
Dürer died in Nuremberg at the age of 56.

At the north end of Albrecht-Dürer-Strasse in Nuremberg, below the castle hill, is the 15th C. Dürer House, in which Dürer lived from 1509 until his death in 1528. It displays copies of some of his works.
"Back to Dürer" - this is the motto of Albrecht Dürer's House, presenting the living and working quarters of the great artist, Albrecht Dürer.

Open 10.00 – 17.00
Closed on Mondays

Cost 5 euros (Adults)

Albrecht Durer is a famous artist (1471-1528). Now his house is a museum that presents the way he had lived and worked. There are special attractions - painting and printing workshop from his time. Visitors are guided by audio-guide (in five languages) by the lady of the house Agnes Dürer, Albrecht’s wife. She tells a lot in every room you enter

Opening hours:
Every day from 10 am to 5(6) pm
Entrance: 5 Euros for adults

The guided tour not only gave us insight into Albrecht Dührer's life, but also about life in the 1400-1500s. One must definitely take 'Agnes's guided tour', it's much more interesting and insightful. The tour guide takes the persona of Albrecht's wife, Agnes. She took us back to the time when she was married to Albrecht and to his death bed.

A. Dührer, jr. was an accomplished artist and a mathematician, having manifested his gift for the arts at the young age of 13. He was born in Nürnberg from parents of Hungarian descent of the name 'Ajtos' meaning door, which was later changed to Türer which sounds similar to Tur, a German word meaning door. He was one of 18 children!

His engraving 'Melacholia' contains the first magic square in Europe.