The building was originally a flagship store for the Jewish-owned Schocken department store chain.
The structure features a characteristic cantilevered facade and curved glass front, trademarks of Erich Mendelsohn's design style.
The museum's 'topographical floor map' is one of the largest projection-based interactive exhibits in Europe.
The building survived the Allied bombing of Chemnitz during World War II with significant structural integrity, allowing for its later renovation.
The interior includes a restored, historic central light well that spans multiple stories.
The State Museum of Archaeology Chemnitz (smac) occupies the former Schocken department store, an iconic example of New Objectivity architecture designed by Erich Mendelsohn. The permanent exhibition spans 300,000 years of human history in Saxony, presented across three floors. The displays follow a chronological trajectory from the Paleolithic era to the onset of industrialization. A highlight of the museum is the massive digital floor projection featuring a 3D model of Saxony’s topography. The museum integrates original archaeological artifacts with modern interactive multimedia installations. The architecture itself serves as an exhibit, with the building's 1930s origins preserved and contextualized within the history of the city. It serves as the central state museum for archaeological research in Saxony.
The curved staircase and the historic light well interior.
Start your visit on the top floor to follow the chronological path downward through history.
Use the available multimedia guides to access in-depth information about specific excavation sites across Saxony.
Check the museum's website for rotating temporary exhibitions that often focus on specific local archaeological discoveries.
Trying to view all exhibits in a single pass without using the provided interactive maps, as the chronological layers are dense.
Closed on Mondays.
