A tour through historic workshops, shops and life stories from the Wesermarsch.
Our permanent exhibition connects historic craftsmanship and village life across several buildings into a vivid picture of past centuries. Step inside and discover the highlights of our collection on your journey through our house.
The historic entrance door of our main building from 1773 has returned. After extensive restoration and careful conservation, the precious original gleams in new splendour. It is one of the most significant pieces in our collection and greets you right at the beginning of the tour.
Step into the world of fine fragrances and historic healing arts. The faithful furnishings come from the pharmacy of the Laer family, who were based for many years in the building across from our museum. Original dispensary jars, old scales and mortars make the atmosphere of a historic pharmacy tangible.
Take a look at medical care in the Wesermarsch in days gone by. Historic dentist chairs, delicate surgical instruments and the equipment of the country doctor from the 19th and 20th centuries tell of a time when healthcare looked very different.
From loose sugar to rough bar soap: our shop shows regional retail trade before the era of modern supermarkets. The historic shelves are filled from floor to ceiling with original packaging, scales and nostalgic advertising signs.
Welcome to the village salon! In the past, the rural barber was not only responsible for cutting hair but often also served as a bath-house keeper and tooth-puller. Historic hair dryers and fine shaving tools await you.
On the ground floor, a dedicated section takes us back to the time of the medieval Ovelgönne Castle. Historic finds, archaeological objects and documents tell the story of the fortification that once shaped life in the region. A scale model of the castle in the Museum Garden adds further insight into Ovelgönne's early history.
An unusual testimony to local legal history awaits visitors in a dedicated room on the ground floor. The reconstructed historic prison offers a sobering glimpse into the conditions of incarceration in past centuries and reminds us how differently law and punishment were once interpreted.
Leave the main building and discover a fully equipped, fully operational historic forge in our outdoor area. From the massive anvil to the bellows: on our action days the iron is heated again here and the craft is demonstrated live.
Discover the historic aesthetics of interior design. Elaborate wall paintings, delicate stencil techniques and the specific tools of the painting and decorating trade tell of the design trends of past eras in Ovelgönne and the Wesermarsch.
The traditional art of thatching with reed still shapes the landscape of the Wesermarsch today. We show you the specific tools, the ingenious techniques and the natural materials of this ancient and weather-resistant craft.
From the cobbler's workshop to fine weaving: old spinning wheels, leather tools and finished products show you how laboriously and time-consumingly clothing and everyday objects were once made by hand.
In the museum's outbuilding, our wheelwright's workshop shows how craftspeople once built wagons, carts and wheels for the rural economy. Specialised tools for working both wood and iron make clear what precision and strength this trade demanded.
From the finely crafted piece of furniture to the load-bearing roof beam: the upper floor showcases the diversity of woodworking trades. Cabinetmakers, joiners and experienced carpenters left behind tools and sample pieces that bear witness to the highest craftsmanship.
Guilds were the protective communities of craftspeople, regulating training, quality and the dignity of the trade. Our guild corner displays historic guild emblems, certificates and insignia from various trades across the Wesermarsch region, offering insight into the organised craft life of past centuries.
Our bakehouse shows the hard work of bakers before the era of large machines. From the heavy flour sack to the wooden oven peel and the old dough kneaders, everything is authentically preserved here. In the Museum Garden, a historic bread oven and large pieces of equipment extend the experience outdoors, where visitors can discover history up close.
Home slaughtering and professional meat processing were central to rural self-sufficiency. We display historic sausage fillers, butcher's knives and the equipment of a classic slaughterhouse from decades gone by.
From cooking over an open fire to the time-consuming care of laundry: massive appliances, cast-iron pots and coarse textiles illustrate the hard daily working life in the historic household long before industrialisation.
A special room is dedicated to the cultural life of Ovelgönne: the Singers' Room honours significant historic figures from the region as well as the male voice choir that shaped the social life of the village for generations. Portraits, documents and objects tell the stories of people who left a lasting mark on Ovelgönne.
From the camera obscura to early analogue photography, this section shows how capturing a moment was once a revolutionary art. Historic cameras, developing equipment and optical instruments such as magnifying glasses and binoculars make clear how seeing and image-making changed across the decades.
Measuring time and crafting time, watchmaking was a precision trade requiring the utmost concentration. Visitors discover historic grandfather clocks and pocket watches, fine tools and the mechanisms with which craftspeople once assembled and repaired gear trains by hand.
Bakelite was the world's first fully synthetic plastic and revolutionised design and everyday life in the 20th century. Our collection displays everyday objects, housings and technical components made from this fascinating material, reminding us how a single substance defined an entire era.
Get to know the people who left a lasting mark on Ovelgönne. The social commitment of the Zedelius siblings, the artistic work of Wolfgang Heinbach and many more personalities from the region have left their traces. Portraits, documents and personal belongings bring history to life and make clear that local history is always human history too.
The "black gold" of the moors. Old spades, wooden carts and fascinating stories about peat extraction show you how laborious and at the same time indispensable this work once was for survival and heating in the region.
In the Museum Garden, visitors encounter impressive historic agricultural machines and large equipment displayed in the open air. These machines show vividly how technology and craftsmanship transformed farming and life in the Wesermarsch, many of them built or used by craftspeople from the region.
On the way up to the upper floor, visitors are greeted by a special gallery: elaborately designed historic master craftsman certificates from a wide range of trades in the region line the staircase. These testimonies of the highest craftsmanship and discipline show the pride with which craftspeople once passed their master's examination.
The memory of the museum. Protected documents, old photographs and writings are stored here, of inestimable value for academic research and local genealogy in the Wesermarsch.
This was just a glimpse of our extensive tour. Come and visit, breathe in the atmosphere of our house and discover many more rooms and stories in Ovelgönne.
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