About 

‘Oh Hosterwitz, oh tranquillity,’ wrote Carl Maria von Weber (1786–1826) in his diary in May 1823. The Dresden court conductor spent the summer months of 1818–19 and 1822 to 1824 with his family at the winegrower’s house near the city of Dresden, which was built in 1664–65. From here, he went on walks in the nearby Keppgrund and as far as the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. He loved this landscape and found it inspiring; here he found peace and leisure for composing. Weber welcomed guests such as Friedrich Kind, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Heinrich Marschner, Wilhelm Müller, Ludwig Tieck and the singer Wilhelmine Schroeder-Devrient.

Photo: © Dresden Municipal Gallery – Art Collection, Dresden City Museums

Just a few years after Weber’s death, the house in Hosterwitz became a place of remembrance: in 1836, the singer and composer Friedrich Wilhelm Jähns established the first memorial here and set up a visitors’ book. In 1865, he had a commemorative plaque affixed to the house. In 1897, to mark the 600th performance of *Der Freischütz* in Berlin, a festival piece entitled *Hosterwitz* was premiered. It centred on Weber’s life in this rural idyll.

Photo: © SLUB Dresden / Deutsche Fotothek

In 1868, the house passed into the ownership of the family of the theologian and Privy Councillor Karl August Haase. During the summer months, it was let to, amongst others, the Saxon Minister of War Karl Paul Edler von der Planitz (1837–1902) and the Berlin painter Heinrich Hübner (1869–1945). From 1923 to 1945, the Landesverein Sächsischer Heimatschutz e. V. was the owner of the house.

Photo: © SLUB Dresden / Deutsche Fotothek

In 1948, an official memorial was established for the first time on the ground floor of the house. In 1957, following the death of Weber’s great-granddaughter Mathilde von Weber, the Carl Maria von Weber Museum was established and opened, featuring a permanent exhibition. Between 1973 and 1976, just in time for the 150th anniversary of the composer’s death, the house was renovated.

Photo: © SLUB Dresden / Deutsche Fotothek

Since 2005, the Carl Maria von Weber Museum has been part of the Dresden City Museums network. Until its closure for restoration work in accordance with heritage conservation standards between 2024 and 2026, the authentic rooms, featuring period furniture, works of art and historical artefacts, served as a tribute to the composer and his circle. The special atmosphere of the venue will once again be experienced after its reopening through concerts, lectures, musical and literary events, and garden concerts.

Photo: © Philipp W. L. Günther, Dresden City Museums