1874
on 25 October 1874, the Leipzig Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Arts and Crafts) opened its doors on the first floor of the Altes Amtshaus, which was located at the corner of Thomaskirchhof and Klostergasse and for the two subsequent decades housed the fast-developing collection.

1892

From 1892 to 1895, a new building was erected at Königsplatz (now home to the municipal library on Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz) to plans by municipal architect Hugo Licht whose task was to create a space worthy of both the Museum of Arts and Crafts and the Museum of Ethnography. The funds came from Franz Dominic Grassi  (1801-1880), a Leipzig merchant who upon his death had bequeathed millions of marks to the city.

1896

From 1896 to 1929, Professor Richard Graul (1862 – 1944) served as director of the Museum of Arts and Crafts. His wide-ranging activities had a fundamental and lasting impact on the museum and the structure of its collections.

1925

From 1925 to 1929, the New Grassi Museum was built to the east of the Johanniskirche (St John’s) to plans by architects Zweck and Voigt and under the supervision of municipal architect Hubert Ritter.
Over 27,000 m² of floor space were now available for the Museums of Arts and Crafts, Ethnography, Regional Geography and Musical Instruments.
About a third of the space was occupied by the Museum of Arts and Crafts.
From as early as 1926, the successively completed wings of the building were opened for use.

1927

Since 1926, the so-called Grassi Fairs (Grassimessen), which had been hosted since 1920, were held in the wing adjacent to Hospitalstraße (today Prager Straße). These fairs were frequented by the elite of artisans and designers.
After hosting the large-scale exhibition entitled ‘European Arts and Crafts in 1927’ (Europäisches Kunstgewerbe 1927), the New Grassi Museum suddenly became known all over Europe.

1945

During World War II, the Museum suffered heavy bomb damage. Most of the collections were saved by evacuation.

1945

Damages which the buildings had suffered during the war were provisionally repaired. Major parts of the building complex were rented to a number of third parties after the war.

1952

After 1952, only five of the previous 29 exhibition rooms were fit to house the permanent exhibition. On a floor space of 659 m², the Museum put its collection of European arts and crafts on display; special exhibitions were hosted in the foyer. Despite the progressive decay of the building and conditions which put the collections at risk, the museum managed to extend its sphere of activity and became the centre of modern arts and crafts once more.

1956

However, as becomes clear from the museum’s history since 1945, the Grassi Museum suffered from the division of Germany in a way few other museums did, losing its far-reaching, historically developed connections, its exhibitors and its international public. The Grassi Fair, which had been hosted under the auspices of the museum as from 1920, was discontinued in 1956.

1981

After damage to the central heating, also the permanent exhibition which had been maintained until now had to be closed.

1994

As from 7 October 1994, that is to say, after a twelve-year break, a permanent exhibition of European arts and crafts from the Middle Ages down to the 20th century was shown on the modest floor space of five renovated rooms. However, 99 percent of the collections were still kept in the depots.
Due to its attractive special exhibitions and events programme, the New Grassi Museum soon came to life again.

2001

Until 2006, the entire Grassi complex underwent extensive reconstruction. During this period, the Museum of Arts and Crafts left the building and, in the first quarter of 2001, moved to the interim building at Neumarkt 20 in the city centre of Leipzig.
The Grassi Fair of October 2001 was the first of a whole number of events on the exhibition programme of the interim building. Until February 2005, altogether 18 special exhibitions were shown here.

2005

The Museum of Arts and Crafts is renamed into Museum of Applied Arts (Museum für Angewandte Kunst).

2007

The museum reopens its doors after extensive renovation and modernisation.
The first part of the newly designed permanent exhibition, ‘From Antiquity to Historicism’, which altogether covers 30 rooms, is opened. On a floor space of around 2,000 m², the Museum takes visitors on a journey through 2,500 years of art and cultural history.

2008
The special exhibition programme is launched.

2010
The second part of the permanent exhibition, ‘Asian Art. Impulses for Europe’, is opened.

March 2012 (estimated)
The third and final part of the permanent exhibition, ‘From Art Nouveau to the Present Day’, is set to open.