Haus Löwenthal
A centre for sustainable futures, creativity, and culture
The story
In the Swabian Alb region of southern Germany, stands a house that has witnessed centuries of family, community and change.
Haus Löwenthal was built by and became the home and business headquarters of generations of the Löwenthal and Levi families. From this house, the families operated a successful horse-trading business that became one of the most prominent in the region.
Buttenhausen was once home to a flourishing Jewish community whose history reaches back centuries. In 1937, under persecution, the family was forced to sell the property.
The house survived.
Today it is a protected cultural monument, standing within the landscape of the Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve. After decades of institutional use, a historic opportunity has emerged to give Haus Löwenthal a new future—one that preserves its history while once again making it a place of life, learning and exchange.
The house is the setting, the institution is the mission.
Vision
A Future-Oriented Mission
Haus Löwenthal will be an interdisciplinary center for education, culture and international exchange.
The vision is to create a living place between past and future: a place where history becomes a foundation for creative work exploring the cultural and environmental questions of our own time.
The program is organized around three interconnected pillars:
- Design + Sustainability
- Music + Art
- International Exchange
Haus Löwenthal is a spacious setting at the center of Buttenhausen, and part of the city of Münsingen. It is a spectacular place for musical performances, lectures, artist residencies, and environmental studies.
Mission
Stiftung Haus Löwenthal is dedicated to advancing design of resilient futures, supporting artistic and musical innovation, and providing a platform for international exchange. The foundation’s mission is to cultivate new forms of knowledge, creativity, and collaboration that respond to contemporary societal challenges.
The site will host exhibitions, workshops, seminars, and artist- or scholar-in-residence programs. Its location, embedded in a unique landscape that is an internationally recognized Biosphere Reserve, offers a unique setting for interdisciplinary work that connects history, memory studies, environmental humanities, and cultural studies.
Program Pillars
Sustainability & Regeneration
Haus Löwenthal will become a place for interdisciplinary exploration of ecological restoration, regenerative agriculture, landscape architecture, biosphere research and environmental education.
University studios, workshops, research programs and field-based learning will use the house and the surrounding Swabian Alb region as a living laboratory—connecting design thinking with ecological systems, cultural landscapes and the challenges of creating more sustainable futures.
Music, Art & Creative Practice
The building and grounds will provide space for music, exhibitions, performances, workshops and creative experimentation.
Artists, musicians, students and educators will come not simply to present work, but to create together. Rooms, gardens and future project spaces will create an intimate setting where creative practice becomes part of the everyday life.
International Exchange
While history will be preserved and interpreted, the house will look outward.
Through academic programs, cultural partnerships and international exchange, Haus Löwenthal will bring people together across generations, disciplines and national boundaries. Particular emphasis will be placed on connections between Germany, Israel and the wider international community.
Residencies & Artist Retreats
The building and its setting provide an extraordinary place for groups of students to stay while engaged in academic inquiries around nature, design & restoration, or for artists to reside while creating and collaborating.
The building has a variety of rooms for sleep, studio, collaboration, presentation, and eating. The outdoor spacious grounds are an inspirational setting for creative exploration. And the context of the valley and river provide a beautiful and peaceful setting.
Want to know more?
Feel free to reach out.