The exhibit Dachshund and the Nobility describes the relationship the German dog breed has shared with royal families throughout the years. Visitors to the museum in Regensburg, Germany, will want to have a phone handy for translations, as displays are in German. (Michael Slavin/Stars and Stripes)
I have been blessed in my travels to see some of the most significant places in the world, such as the Egyptian pyramids and the Acropolis in Athens.
But there are other astounding pyramids and citadels. The Dackelmuseum, or dachshund museum, in the southeastern German city of Regensburg, is truly one of a kind.
Sure, it’s not an ancient wonder or a place of breathtaking beauty. But there is a sense of awe that comes from realizing that if a person devoted the next 50 years of their life solely to putting together a collection of dachshund memorabilia, they still wouldn’t even scratch the surface of this museum’s collection.
The dachshund's history and relationship with Germany and Bavaria are shown across several displays at the Dackelmuseum, or dachshund museum. in the southeastern German city of Regensburg. (Michael Slavin/Stars and Stripes)
Nor can I fathom what would possess someone to do such a thing. However, much to my benefit, someone did. Two someones, actually: Seppi Kueblbeck and Oliver Storz.
The museum is touted as the only one of its kind in the world. And much like the mighty dachshund, it comes in a “fun-sized” package. It isn’t much bigger than the average Regensburg restaurant, but it’s packed to the brim with all things dachshund.
Kueblbeck and Storz spent 30-plus years curating this collection of more than 30,000 pieces of memorabilia related to one beloved breed of pooch.
The dachshund museum in Regensburg, Germany, contains more than 30,000 pieces of memorabilia related to the beloved dog breed. (Michael Slavin/Stars and Stripes)
Regensburg is actually not the original home of the museum, though. It was founded in Passau, a Danube River town bordering Austria.
But Kueblbeck and Storz moved their dog-and-no-pony show out of Passau about six months ago because of a bone to pick with the city in a classic case of bureaucrats running amok.
Since 2018, the dachshund museum there had outdoor seating that included an umbrella, which ran afoul of a local ordinance. The stink raised by the city administration with its umbrella ban drove Kueblbeck to pack up and leave, he told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
Displays in the dachshund museum are set up in a figure-eight pattern. It is operated by two dachshund enthusiasts who moved the museum from Passau, Germany, to Regensburg six months ago. (Michael Slavin/Stars and Stripes)
He saw the city’s actions as a snub of an attraction that had garnered a lot of attention for Passau, he told the paper. “Being sent off was the worst pain of my life,” he said.
The new building has a figure-eight layout with 23 exhibits, one of which shows pictures of celebrities with dachshunds. Never would I have pegged Marlon Brando for a wiener dog guy, but there he was.
The dachshund museum display titled Like in Heaven showcases several porcelain figures of the German dog breed. A gift shop at the front of the museum offers a huge assortment of dachshund paraphernalia for sale. (Michael Slavin/Stars and Stripes)
The gift shop is almost as packed as the museum. The owners spared no expense putting together a selection that would please even the most discerning dachshund lover.
Having walked through the museum in less than 15 minutes, I would venture to say it might not merit a trip to Regensburg in and of itself. But for people already there, its whimsy makes it worth checking out. It’s a slice of Germany’s history and culture that traditional museums, no matter how worthwhile, have overlooked.
In addition, it is near many of the city’s other attractions, like the Historische Wuerstkuchl, one of the world’s oldest continuously open restaurants, or the House of Bavarian History just downriver.
Dackelmuseum
Address: Weisse-Hahnen-Gasse 3-5, Regensburg, Germany
Prices: Adults, 6 euros; students, 4 euros; children up to 12, free
Hours: Daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. except on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve
Information: +49 941 307717 73, www.dackelmuseum.de
