Kurpfälzisches Museum

The Kurpfälzisches Museum (Museum of the Electoral Palatinate) occupies the Baroque Palais Morass at Hauptstraße 97 in Heidelberg's Old Town, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the city's principal museum of regional history, art and archaeology, and its collections trace the Neckar valley and the Palatinate from prehistory to the modern period. The museum's best-known object is a cast of the lower jaw of Homo heidelbergensis, discovered in 1907 in a sand pit at Mauer near Heidelberg and dated to about 600,000 years ago, among the oldest human fossil finds in Europe. The archaeological galleries also present Celtic, Roman and early medieval finds from the surrounding region. The art collection includes sculpture and painting from the Middle Ages onward, notably the Twelve Apostles Altar by Tilman Riemenschneider from the early 16th century, and portraits of the Palatine electors and their court. Romantic paintings of the castle ruin by artists attracted to Heidelberg in the 19th century show how the city became a symbol of German Romanticism. Further rooms cover the city's history, the university, and decorative arts such as furniture, porcelain and glass. The curatorial approach is broadly chronological, with the art and local history presented in the Baroque rooms of the palace and in a newer extension. The building dates to 1712 and was raised after the French destruction of 1693, so the museum itself illustrates Heidelberg's rebuilding. Restoration and modernisation have updated the display spaces while keeping the historic character. The museum suits visitors who want an overview of the region before exploring the castle and Old Town, and its low entry price makes it accessible for families and students.