Hutmuseum (Hat Museum)

Hutmuseum (Hat Museum) Review

The Hutmuseum, a part of the Museum im Gotischen Haus, is a shrine to headgear. Its collection includes everything from 18th-century three-corner hats to silk toppers, from simple bonnets to the massive, feathered creations of 19th-century milliners. But mainly it's a shrine to the distinguished hat that was developed in Bad Homburg and bears its name. The Homburg hat was made around the turn of the 20th century for Britain's Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, a frequent visitor. He liked the shape of the Tyrolean hunting hat but found its green color and decorative feather a bit undignified. So, for him, the Homburg hatters removed the feather, turned the felt gray, and established a fashion item once worn by diplomats, state dignitaries, and other distinguished gentlemen worldwide.