Conservation of the “Schwarzburger Zeughaus” weapons collection

The Thuringian State Museum Heidecksburg owns an important collection of approximately 4,000 weapons and armoury pieces dating between the 15th and 19th century. However, only a small portion of the collection, stored in one of the Schwarzburg Castle buildings until 1940, had been displayed in the late-Gothic period vaulted hall of the Heidecksburg Castle in Rudolstadt after 1989.
There were approximately 3,500 weapons in storage in Heidecksburg which had not been shown to the public since 1940 and could not until properly conserved. This KUR project preserved, conserved and studied the collection so that the valuable weapons and armoury pieces could be presented to the public.
In 2007 the Foundation of Thuringian Castles and Gardens began renovating the dilapidated arsenal building at the Schwarzburg Castle, slated for completion in 2012. The renovation will allow this nationally renowned collection of weapons, the oldest of which date back to 1453, to return to its original location at the Schwarzburg Castle.

Project administrator:
Thuringian State Museum Heidecksburg

Cooperative partners:
Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB), Koblenz
University of Applied Sciences, Erfurt, Dept. of Preservation and Conservation