Special exhibition Stadtmuseum: Ratoldescella – Radolfzell

Radolfzell celebrates – and looks back on more than 1200 years of eventful history. To mark the town’s anniversary, the Radolfzell Town Museum will be showing the special exhibition “Ratoldescella – Radolfzell” from May 17, 2026.

The exhibition begins with the founding of the town of Radolfzell in 826 by Bishop Radolt of Verona. With the “Ratoldescella”, a first ecclesiastical settlement, he laid the foundation stone for today’s town. The presentation traces his life as a religious and political player in early medieval Europe – from Reichenau via Aachen and Rome to Verona. Historical views and reconstructions bring the old cityscape back to life. An interactive display of Heber’s map from 1708 shows many exciting details of the Radolfzell area during the Baroque period. At the same time, the exhibition also sheds light on the vanished Radolfzell, from the Hölle brewery to the “Café Achteck”, and commemorates people from Radolfzell who sought their fortune abroad. Their stories show how home lives on in memory.

The exhibition can be seen in the Radolfzell City Museum from May 17th. It invites all visitors to embark on a multifaceted journey through the past of the town on Lake Constance.

The city museum is open Thursdays – Sundays from 11.00 am – 5.00 pm.

Children’s holiday program in the city museum

In its anniversary year, the Radolfzell City Museum is offering a varied vacation program. In workshops, we play, paint and write like in the Middle Ages. We discover medicinal herbs, design dream cities and explore medieval depictions of saints. The detailed program can be found on the website of the Stadtmuseum.

Herbalism with a brush and microscope:

09.04.2026, 10-13 h, From 10 years

Radolfzell through the ages – I paint my town:

28.05.2026, 10-13 h, from 8 years

Preparation of a herbal ointment:

02.06.2026, 10-13 h, from 8 years

Playing like in the Middle Ages:

06.08.2026, 10-13 h, from 8 years

The saints in Radolfzell – painting with the hosts:

07.08.2026, 10-13 h, from 8 years

Painting and writing like in the Middle Ages:

29.10.2026, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., ages 8 and up

Registration is required for participation:

museum@radolfzell.de or Tel. 07732/81-530 (Thu.-Sun. 11.00-17.00).

From monastic medicine to modern pharmacy

From monastic medicine to modern pharmacy

Michael Dohm is a third-generation pharmacist and has been running the Scheffel pharmacy in Radolfzell since 1964. In his lecture in the old town pharmacy, the pharmacist with an interest in pharmacy history talks about the development of medicines from monastic medicine to modern pharmacy. The monastery island of Reichenau is home to the famous medicinal herb garden, modeled on the “Hortulus” by Abbot Walahfried Strabo from the 9th century, a treasure that extends far beyond the island’s borders. Monasteries were regarded as centers of medicine in the Middle Ages and into modern times. Monks collected medicinal plants, produced medicines and recorded their knowledge in herbal books. With the advent of universities, the wealth of knowledge became increasingly well-founded. How did things develop here? The first documented mention of a pharmacist in Radolfzell was in 1610/11 during the plague epidemic. Franz Zangerer opened his pharmacy on Seetorplatz in 1689. A privilege from the Viennese government assured him that the newly built half-timbered house would be the only pharmacy in Radolfzell for the rest of time. After his death, the pharmacy passed into the hands of the Bosch family, who held the privilege for almost 170 years. In 1908, the pharmacy was taken over by Albert Ehrhardt. His son Wilhelm founded the Scheffel Pharmacy in 1964 and was the last pharmacist in this time-honored patrician house, which today houses the town museum.