Schweinemuseum

A curly-tailed ambassador greets you. It’s made of porcelain, perched on a shelf outside the Schweinemuseum. Here, in Stuttgart’s former slaughterhouse, a surprising transformation has occurred. The Schweinemuseum, also known as the Pig Museum, now celebrates the pig in all its forms. This isn’t your average museum. Opened in 2010, the Schweinemuseum boasts over 50,000 pig-related items. Erika Wilhelmer, a Stuttgart restaurateur, started the collection. It earned a Guinness World Record in 1992 for being the largest pig museum globally. The museum occupies the renovated art nouveau administrative building of the old Schlachthof. The original slaughterhouse, completed in 1909, spanned 12 hectares and comprised over 60 buildings. Much of it was destroyed in World War II and later privatized. By 1993, it was abandoned. The Schweinemuseum fills 27 themed rooms and two special exhibition spaces across three floors. You’ll find everything from lucky pig charms and piggy banks to pig-themed art and cultural artifacts. Explore pigs in zoology, mythology, and even their role in our savings habits. The museum traces the pig’s journey from kitsch to valuable antique, exploring the diverse meanings we ascribe to this creature. If you’re lucky, you might catch a special exhibition. The Schweinemuseum regularly hosts them, featuring topics like World Pig Day or showcasing artists like Horst Eckert, also known as Janosch. Even if you weren’t a pig enthusiast before, the Schweinemuseum will likely change that. It’s a testament to the surprising versatility and cultural impact of the humble pig.