PLAYMOBIL exhibition at Schloss Homburg: Small play figures tell big stories Special exhibition for the 100th anniversary of the museum in the castle

The scenes created by Oliver Schaffer uniquely connect the past and the present: They illustrate in miniature what shaped life in the Homburg region over the centuries: for example, the harsh agriculture ("Haferspanien"), witch hunts, the "Siegburg Agreement," and Napoleon's rule in the Oberberg region are conveyed through many settings. At the heart of these imaginatively designed landscape scenes, spanning 180 square meters in the New Orangery, stands Schloss Homburg - faithfully reconstructed and custom-made, down to its distinctive yellow "paintwork."

"After the great response to our PLAYMOBIL special exhibition seven years ago, the popular figures are returning to the castle for the museum's 100th birthday. They provide many visitors with a reason to visit our Museum and Forum Schloss Homburg, to discover the newly designed rooms with many previously unknown exhibits, and to engage entertainingly with the history and stories of Schloss Homburg," says Felix Ammann, Cultural Commissioner of the Oberbergischer Kreis.         

The 100-year museum history at Schloss Homburg

In addition to the vibrant activities in and around the castle, the special exhibition also highlights the centennial of the district museum. In the newly designed exhibition rooms on the first floor of the castle, visitors can find additional Playmobil landscapes that illustrate the tasks of a museum: from collecting and researching to exhibiting. Several large PLAYMOBIL structures, like in a dollhouse, showcase artworks, maps, photos, old tools, clothing, furniture, and entire machines, as well as the museum team's diverse activities such as restoring valuable objects, working with interested visitors, or designing a (special) exhibition.

Tribute to 132 Special Exhibitions at Schloss Homburg  The museum team and partners have so far designed and presented 132 special exhibitions at Schloss Homburg. A dedicated exhibition space in the "White Cube" is devoted to them: Display cases showcase 36 themes from all the special exhibitions at the castle, captured in PLAYMOBIL scenes: From the special exhibition "Reformation in the Oberberg Region" (1969), through "(No) Old Hat" (1986); "Beethoven Evacuated" (2016); "Leonardo da Vinci" (2018); "Flight of the Cranes" (2019); "Small Goals, Big Leaps" (Handball Exhibition 2024) to "Mathematics to Touch" (2025).

Proven Once Again: Museum Team Collaborates with PLAYMOBIL Artist Oliver Schaffer

"History can come alive when it is playfully told and discovered!" This is the conclusion drawn by the organizers of the 2019 PLAYMOBIL special exhibition. In collaboration with the museum team and PLAYMOBIL Diorama Artist Oliver Schaffer, this realization is also confirmed in the current special exhibition "Experience History(ies) at Schloss Homburg 2." Those who stand before the detailed play scenes "and look for an hour still discover something new and interesting," says Cultural Office Director Steffen Müller. 
The museum director, along with his team, spent several weeks constructing pedestals from recycled materials so that PLAYMOBIL artist Oliver Schaffer could implement the many themes with his play figures and creatively designed accessories in just (only) eleven days.

Contemporary and Flexible: The New Direction of the Museum at Schloss Homburg  
  
The PLAYMOBIL figures distributed throughout the castle already guide visitors to a contemporary and appealing museum that plans to increasingly offer family-oriented programs in the future and make more flexible use of the exhibition spaces. For instance, a room on the first floor of the castle has been transformed into a life-sized historical dollhouse where all objects can be touched and tried out - such as an old coffee grinder or a washstand. The former hunting room also has new and diverse functions: it vividly and child-friendly conveys the museum's tasks: to collect, research for posterity, preserve from decay, and make accessible natural and cultural heritage.   

Therefore, previously unknown pieces from the archive should also steadily find their way into the exhibition. Research continues in the castle kitchen and its adjacent room. This area plays a central role in the architectural history of the castle, which continues to be written.    
                 

And even the mascot, Schloss ghost Hom Buh, is livelier than ever: it has not only multiplied, shrunk, and hidden in the PLAYMOBIL play scenes, but is the (un)official hero of the special exhibition: after all, it has freed itself from its dungeon and captured a "Ghostbuster" there, so that it can float freely and cheerfully through Schloss Homburg in the future. 

Further information:

The special exhibition "Experiencing History(ies) at Schloss Homburg 2 - Playmobil Diorama Artist Oliver Schaffer" is on display until January 24, 2027.
It was made possible with the support of the Kulturstiftung Oberberg of Kreissparkasse Köln. 
Admission to the castle and the special exhibition costs 6 euros for adults and 3.30 euros for children.
Further information can be found at www.schloss-homburg.de.