You won't find the crown jewels here, but you will find a crowned golden dachshund statue. The curators behind the Passau museum have assembled some 2,000 objects related to the affectionately termed "wiener" or "sausage" dog. Found in flea markets and kitsch shops, the items come in all sizes and materials. Dachshund-themed salt shakers, beer mugs and plates are just a few of the exhibits.

In real life, the dachshund is a hunting dog that can dig underground into fox and badger burrows. The breed enjoys being outside. That's why the new museum placed the hunting hound's porcelain relatives in nature-inspired artistic scenes.

For many Germans, nothing more epitomizes middle-class kitsch than a bobblehead dachshund toy figure placed on a car's rear window shelf next to a crochet-covered roll of toilet paper. The decoration was popular in the 1960s and '70s and made a comeback at the end of the 1990s following an advertising campaign. Today, you can probably only see this unique combination at the Passau museum.

The dachshund was the center of attention in 1972 when Waldi (above) served as the mascot for that year's Summer Olympics in Munich. The then-president of Germany's National Olympic Committee, Willie Daume — himself a dachshund owner — supported the short-legged breed, which is considered to be agile and full of fighting spirit. Exactly the qualities that Olympians should possess.

Some 30 years ago, the dachshund could be seen all over Bavaria, often at the end of a leash held by a man dressed in lederhosen. Today, other dog breeds have overtaken the dachshund in terms of popularity — but a proper Bavarian snack of white veal sausage, a soft pretzel and beer is still in order for master and hound. The museum pays tribute to this custom.

Before the Dachshund Museum opened its doors, few bakers would have thought of offering cakes in the shape of the bow-legged canine — topped off with a Bavarian blue-and-white bow. But the museum has caused business to boom when it comes to dachshund-themed offers. There are now dachshund pralines and pizza — before you know it, there will be dachshund beer!

Dog shows take place in almost every country, and dachshund parades can't be left off the list. A particularly famous one takes place in Krakow, Poland (above). But do the dogs really like it when their owners dress them up? Many dachshund photographs can been seen at the museum in Passau.

Josef Küblbeck (left) and Oliver Storz are well-known figures in Passau. The pair ran a flower shop for many years before becoming museum curators. The initiative lies close to their hearts; both consider the dachshund to be a Bavarian icon. You never see the two humans without their dogs, Seppi (left) and Moni. All four have brushed aside criticism that their museum does not deal with culture.

"Man's best friend" lives in about seven million German households. The arts have provided more than a few iconic canines to remember. This smartly dressed blue dog in the painting "Wendy and Me," created by George Rodrique, is so popular that it was once stolen from an art gallery.

Humans' ties to dogs dates all the way back to ancient Greece. However, they weren't man's best friend back then. With his three heads, the mythological Cerberus was a horrific sight. He guarded the entrance to the underworld. Heroic Heracles, pictured here, managed to overcome the beast.

Nipper, the mascot of the music label EMI Electrola, became famous at the end of the 19th century. He loved the gramophone that belonged to his owner, Francis Barraud. He was a painter and captured the moment in which Nipper got caught up in the music and simply forgot the world around him.

Painter Franz Marc loved his Siberian husky, Russi. He painted him in 1911, as he was getting up close as personal with the freezing landscape around him. It became one of his most famous works and can now be seen in Frankfurt's Städelmuseum.

This faithful dog Hachikō was not a piece of fiction. In the 1920s in Japan, he waited everyday for his master to come pick him up at the end of the day. When his owner passed away, the dog continued to wait - for nearly a decade. In 1934, a memorial was built to Hachikō and in 2009, his story was turned into a movied starring Richard Gere.

Lassie first appeared in a short story in 1938, but her big break came five years later with the film "Lassie Come Home." It was the beginning of unparalleled stardom, even culminating in a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood. Her star can be found right next to those of the famed German Shepherd Strongheart and comic dog Rantanplan.

Schmaltzy violin music, spaghetti on checkered table cloths and romantic love scenes – "The Lady and the Tramp" (1955) stars two of the most famous animated dogs of all time. They're not the only hounds that Disney has catapulted to stardom, however. In "101 Dalmatians" (1961), just as many spotted puppies take to the screen and "The Fox and the Hound" (1981) features an unusual animal friendship.

In the 1989 Hollywood comedy, Hooch the dog turns police offer Scott Turner's life upside down. The slobbering Dogue de Bordeaux is the only witness in a murder and the cop, played by Tom Hanks, has to give him refuge in his own apartment. It takes a while for the two to get used to each other, which is evident in the film's most famous line: "This is not your room."

Dogmatix is Obelix's loyal companion in the "Asterix" comic series. He follows his beloved obese Obelix around wherever he goes. He doesn't need any magic potions; his canine instincts are enough to save his master from a variety of tricky situations. Just the thought of a dog bone once helped the whole troop out of an Egyptian tomb.

In the world of comic dogs, size isn't a measure of intelligence. Snowy is the clever fox terrier who accompanies reporter Tintin on his exciting journeys around the world. The duo was first created by Belgian illustrator Georges Remi, alias Hergé, in 1929.

French artist Thierry Poncelet portrayed people, but with a catch: He gave them dogs' heads. He came up with the idea while painting a wealthy lady whose face was so ugly that Poncelet thought he'd rather paint his dog. While she likely wasn't thrilled, it was the beginning of his artistic trademark.

A spooky hound kills one person after another in the Baskerville family. Is it a curse? Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are on the case in Arthur Conan Doyle's 1902 novel. A relative is after the family's inheritance and has a motive for getting rid of the whole clan. He starved and tortured the poor dog, which made his appearance so eerie. The book was named one of the best-loved novels in the UK.

"Otto's Pug" was created by Austrian poet Ernst Jandl in 1963. He wrote a short poem about master Otto who sends his pug away, only to miss him terribly. The dog returns and does what dogs do: He pukes. The poem is required reading in many German schools and has entertained children for decades.

A noble dog needs a noble environment. Photographer William Wegman is famous for capturing his Weimaraners in the most luxurious of poses. His images are sold as books and posters.