Freilichtmuseum Hagen

The LWL-Freilichtmuseum Hagen displays late 18th plus 19th century crafts and technology.
On the site in the Mäckingerbach valley, visitors can visit about 60 crafts enterprises and factories and permanent exhibitions.
On about 42ha, since 1960 historical workshops and factories have been rebuilt that at their original site wouldn’t have been able to survive. The museum not only shows late 18th century rural and urban crafts enterprises but also early industrial production plants, built right until industrialisation began on a massive scale. The exhibitions also deal with these technlogies economic, social and regional context and backdrop.
Based upon historical crafts, the shops include a forge, a bakery, a printer’s shop and a brewery. Visitors can see how nails, ropes, paper, cigars, beer, bread and coffee is and are being produced.
The programme also includes temporary exhibitions and events and museum educational programmes. The museum is operated by Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (a regional authority).
In many shops, one can actually see how various products are being produced. You hear the noise of the water wheels, along with forge scales and a screeching saw in the sawmill.
The visitors get an immediate impression of the physical burden and the health risks incurred through these historical working conditions.

Author: Route Industriekultur / Editorial baukunst-nrw
Last changed on 18.12.2023

Categories:
Engineering » handcraft
Architecture » Commercial Buildings » Industrial
Architecture » Public Buildings » Cultural (cinemas, theatres, museums)