NIBEL RHEIN: The River Rhine in the Nibelungen Saga

The Rhine “flows” through the poetry of the Nibelungen Saga, adding shape to the journeys of its characters: Siegfried of Xanten travels upstream to marry the beautiful Kriemhild in Worms and downstream to help Gunther, his future brother-in-law as he fights to gain Brünhild. The Nibelungen treasure is moved upstream but then sunk in the Rhine by Hagen, so that the hoard remains hidden. In Richard Wagner’s famous opera, the river is even given its own music.

Working with the Nibelungenlied Society, the Nibelungen Museum in Worms has explored the NIBELUNGEN and the RHINE and wishes to invite its guests to “dive” in and look at these two phenomena in both literary and musical terms.

NIBEL RHINE is part of a series of exhibitions, set up by a local network of museums that seeks to explore the Rhine in all its different facets. Whether it’s nature, history, technology, culture or art, the overarching theme allows a variety of thematic and regional approaches, while also highlighting different national perspectives.

This series of exhibitions extends across national borders and is held every four years. One important partner of the network is the Museum Pass Association: Museums-PASS-Musées.