Open-air museum on the Kiekeberg
Coordinates: 53 ° 26 ′ 25 ″ N , 9 ° 54 ′ 7 ″ E
The open-air museum on the Kiekeberg is a former Hamburg open-air museum in the Harburg mountains . It is located between the districts of Ehestorf and Vahrendorf in the Rosengarten community in the Harburg district . Today the museum is supported by the non-profit foundation Freilichtmuseum am Kiekeberg.
Museum holdings
The museum, which comprises over 40 historical buildings from the 17th to the 20th centuries on a twelve- hectare area, deals with the cultural history of the northern Lüneburg Heath and the adjacent Elbe marshes . In addition, the museum has a modern exhibition building and a special exhibition area. In the outdoor area there are a number of historical gardens and various old breeds of domestic animals to admire. These include colorful Bentheimer country pigs , Ramelsloher blue legs (chickens ), Schleswig cold-blooded animals , Bentheimer country sheep , domestic goats and German Black Holstein cattle . In the “Haus des Handwerks” the most important rural trades are presented on 500 m². There are also regular demonstrations of traditional handicrafts such as forging and spinning . In 2012 the Agrarium , an interactive show magazine on agriculture and the food industry, opened on the site . In the exhibition building, the permanent exhibition "Play Worlds" on 650 m² offers insights into the play and toy culture after the Second World War. In addition to more than 1,000 exhibits, there are numerous hands-on stations.
history
left front Göpel the transmission, in the background for a shredding machine which is driven via a shaft
The area around the open-air museum on the Kiekeberg was a popular destination for the people of Hamburg and Harburg even during the imperial era . On the mountain there was a Bismarck tower in memory of Otto von Bismarck , which was blown up by German troops towards the end of the Second World War in 1945.
The open-air museum was founded in 1953 by Willi Wegewitz , the then director of the Helms Museum in Hamburg-Harburg. The starting point for his planning was the rapid changes in agriculture and in the villages of the region. In order to preserve the tradition, a complete heath courtyard was to be bought, converted to the Kiekeberg and presented to the later generation. Wegewitz built the museum with great diligence and in 1966 gave his successor Claus Ahrens not only a farm, but a small heath village. Ahrens continued the construction work, expanded the open spaces and gardens and integrated aspects of museum education into museum operations. In 1987 the Harburg district acquired the museum from the city of Hamburg. In the same year Rolf Wiese became director of the open-air museum. In addition to the central location in Kiekeberg, branch offices were set up to present culture in the entire region.
In 2003 the open-air museum was transferred from the support of the Harburg district to a non-profit foundation under private law. The main goal was to achieve more independence and autonomy by building up your own foundation assets. The Board of Trustees is organized on a voluntary basis, advises and monitors the Foundation's board of directors in its activities. Representatives of the Harburg district, the museum management, the works council, the friends' association and public figures are represented on the foundation council.
Focus
The open-air museum on the Kiekeberg has different thematic focuses: life in the country, the mechanization of agriculture, toys and games or water as a precious commodity. In detail:
- Agrarium
- The Agrarium is an interactive exhibition world. On three floors, museum visitors learn interesting facts about agriculture, agricultural engineering and nutritional science. It shows the background of historical and modern food production as well as the path of food to the consumer, for example vegetables and cereals. Interactive stations, exhibits and multimedia elements are part of the exhibition. The mechanization of agriculture is also presented. Up to 35 children and adults can take cooking courses in a teaching kitchen.
- Agricultural discovery garden
- A new kind of car park concept was implemented in 2012 next to the open-air museum on Kiekeberg: a 40-hectare area was created for fruit growing, cattle breeding and arable farming. In the discovery garden, the old, long-stemmed fruit varieties grow next to the modern apple bushes, which can be easily harvested. Discovery tours take visitors around the facility and bring them closer to the topics. On larger event days, the orchards and pastures are opened and made usable as a parking lot.
- Economics in the country
- From the middle of the 19th century, technology began in the countryside. Many aids (without electricity) make everyday life easier for people. Examples in the open-air museum are a Göpelschauer and a wind turbine.
- Marsh Village
- The fertile area of the Winsener Marsch stretches along the Elbe. Grains and vegetables were grown on the productive soils. Due to the high yields and the nearby, easily accessible market in Hamburg, cattle and horse breeding were also successful. In addition, many families lived on the Elbe, that is, from shipping, retail trade, fishing and basketry.
- Heidedorf
- The rural economy of the Nordheide was characterized by the poor soils, which were only suitable for a few crops. The cattle were used for self-sufficiency and the production of fertilizer. Rye, oats, buckwheat and from the middle of the 18th century also potatoes were grown. The houses made of woven clay walls reflect the rather poor living conditions.
- Koenigsberger Strasse
- The 1950s stand for the time of the economic miracle in Germany, for colorful fashion, electrical household appliances and modern farms. But the time is also marked by need and poverty. Many people, especially refugees, lived in emergency shelters for several years after the Second World War. Königsberger Straße is under construction: It shows the time from 1945 to the 1970s. A single residential house and a semi-detached house, a (then modern) gas station, one of the first prefabricated houses from the catalog, a commercial building and a small farmer's place - each suitably furnished and with gardens of the times - are being built. An emergency shelter, the so-called Nissen hut , is already in the open-air museum and shows the simplest living conditions in which families lived after the Second World War. The petrol station was officially opened on September 15, 2019 and has been open to all visitors ever since. The opening of the entire street is planned for 2023.
Game worlds
The permanent exhibition "Spielwelten" shows the rapid development of toy culture after 1945 on 650 m². After the Second World War, toy culture changed quickly in Germany: In the wake of the economic miracle, more and more toys came into German children's rooms. In addition, new topics such as mobility, leisure or space travel are in focus. New producers and materials such as plastic also came onto the market. In addition to three walk-in, staged toy shops, there are ten themed islands that illustrate the breadth of the toy world: From Playmobil to collectible figures to self-made toys by displaced persons. There are also numerous interactive and media stations in the exhibition.
- The heath village
- The farmers in the Nordheide lived rather poorly. The farmers took care of their livestock and worked the barren soils. Only a few crops, such as rye, buckwheat or potatoes, grew here. In the open-air museum, numerous historical houses show how, for example, small farmers or housebold lived. This also includes barns for the equipment and stables for the animals. All buildings were built between 1600 and 1900.
- Marsh Village
- Unlike the soils of the Nordheide, the area of the Winsener Marsch along the Elbe was very fertile with high-yielding soils. Cattle and horses were bred here, as well as agriculture and vegetable cultivation. In the open-air museum, Hof Meyn, built in 1560 as one of the largest farmhouses, demonstrates rural prosperity. In addition to farming, many families made a living from shipping, fishing and retail trade.
- Water adventure trail
- Together with the Harburg water supply association, the open-air museum on the Kiekeberg has set up a water adventure trail on which visitors can be active. You will learn more about what constitutes drinking water and how people used to get drinking water.
- Gardens
- Supply and ornamental gardens have been laid out on the historic houses in the open-air museum. Old varieties of fruit and vegetables are traditionally grown here. Fruit and vegetable growing has been an important source of income in the past centuries. The cottage gardens from around 1900 can also be admired in their typical form on the Kiekeberg. According to the local miracle healer, Schäfer Ast, there is a herb garden in raised beds.
- Farm and museum shop
- Historical household items, textiles, children's books, specialist literature, toys and natural cosmetics are available here. The bread made in the museum bakery can also be bought. In the farm shop, food from our own organic cultivation on the Kiekeberg and from the museum farm in Wennerstorf as well as from regional suppliers are sold. In the museum inn “Stoof Mudders Kroog”, the rebuilt parish widow's house from Marschacht , dishes are served according to old recipes. There is a historic coffee bean roaster in the “Koffietied” roasting café, where the beans are still roasted in front of visitors today.
Regular events / action days
Various events take place on the museum grounds and in the Agrarium throughout the year. These include the historical fair, a beekeeping day, the pleasure market, two large plant markets, a steam and tractor meeting , a classic car meeting and several theater evenings in Low German.
A special attraction of the open-air museum on the Kiekeberg are the demonstration programs “Sundays in the Museum”. On many weekends throughout the year, ancient crafts are demonstrated in some of the historic buildings.
Research and publication
The open-air museum on the Kiekeberg is an important research facility for the culture and history of the Winsener Elbmarsch and the Lüneburg Heath. Full-time scientists work here who cooperate closely with external researchers and universities. Your research results are published in a series of publications by the Freilichtmuseum am Kiekeberg, through specialist conferences and through numerous articles. The main research areas are in the areas of building and living, agriculture and agricultural technology, handicrafts, trade and industry, nutrition and luxury foods as well as games and toys.
The open-air museum on the Kiekeberg has a scientific library that is open upon prior registration. The library holdings include publications in the fields of folklore, historical regional studies (Harburg / Lüneburger Heide district), agriculture, house and building research, environmental protection and handicrafts. Another focus is the topic of museum and cultural management. Library books may be viewed by arrangement and some may be borrowed.
The museum management working group is affiliated with the museum and consists of representatives from various museums, universities and other educational institutions from German-speaking countries. Every two years in November it organizes a conference on current topics in the field of museum management. In addition, subject-related publications are published regularly.
Branch offices
The branch offices of the open-air museum include:
- Museum farm Wennerstorf
- Moisburg Mill Museum
- District archive Winsen
- Salzhausen hose tower
- Rieselwiesen in Jesteburg
- Putensen transformer house
- Widderanlage Gödenstorf
- Menkenbruch orchard in Ramelsloh
- Museum cartwright Langenrehm
- Fire Brigade Museum Marxen
Support association
The Friends of the Open Air Museum at Kiekeberg eV was founded in 1989. He actively participates in the work in the open-air museum and financed the construction of the Wennerstorf dormitory, carries the museum farm Wennerstorf, the museum carpentry Langenrehm and the museum shop in the open-air museum on Kiekeberg. He also markets the “FirstRumos” software system for the data-intensive work areas of a museum. The association has around 13,500 members and 350 volunteers (2019). The board is also organized on a voluntary basis.
literature
- Giesela Wiese / Rolf Wiese (ed.): A museum is getting on in years. Festschrift for the 50th anniversary of the open-air museum on the Kiekeberg . Freilichtmuseum am Kiekeberg, Ehestorf 2003, ISBN 3-935096-11-9 .
- Museum Management Working Group
Individual evidence
- ^ Foundation for the open-air museum at Kiekeberg
- ↑ Julika Pohle: When craft trades come to life in the museum. In: www.welt.de. January 9, 2019, accessed January 11, 2019 .
- ↑ Information about FirstRumos (software solution for museums)
- ↑ Homepage of the Friends' Association
