Walk-in time capsules in the historic townhouse from 1773: scientifically researched, authentically furnished, accessible to all.
The listed Oldenburg gabled house from 1773 forms the setting for our permanent exhibition. On two floors you discover fully furnished workshops, shops and living spaces of the region.
From the Burg Pharmacy and the bakery to the watchmaker's workshop and thatching: every room tells its own story, authentic, tangible, unforgettable.
More than 11,500 exhibits tell of the crafts and everyday life of earlier times across about 520 m²: in the permanent exhibition, in changing special exhibitions and in the museum garden.
The historic entrance door of our main house from 1773 has returned. After extensive restoration the valuable original shines in new splendour, one of the most important pieces in our collection.
View on the planThe museum consists of the historic main house and several outbuildings around a shared courtyard at Breite Straße 27. You explore everything freely and independently. Tap a place in the aerial view.
01 · Townhouse from 1773
The listed townhouse in the style of the late Baroque is an example of the Oldenburg gabled houses. Above the entrance with the Rococo door an angel relief sits at the tip of the gable, and an extension from 1888 enlarged the house. The permanent exhibition spreads across the ground floor and the upper floor.
The tour is free; you explore house, courtyard and garden on your own. The plan shows what you will find behind which door. It is schematic and not to scale. In the house the entrance door is at the bottom and you look upwards; through the back door you reach the garden and the outbuildings.
From the entrance through the hallway to the back door to the garden.
Access The ground floor is wheelchair accessible; the men’s toilet is wheelchair accessible.
Ground Floor · 0101Ground floor, from the entrance to the back door
The historic entrance door of our main house from 1773 has returned. After extensive restoration the valuable original shines in new splendour, one of the most important pieces in our collection.
New pieces that most recently joined the collection.
A selected piece from the collection, presented in rotation.
Historic finds, archaeological objects and documents tell of the medieval castle fortification. A scale model in the museum garden rounds out the picture of what once shaped life in this region.
The reconstructed historic jail gives a sobering glimpse into the conditions of imprisonment in centuries past, and reminds us how differently law and punishment were once interpreted.
Historic dentist chairs, delicate surgical instruments and the equipment of a country doctor from the 19th and 20th centuries tell of a time when healthcare looked very different.
Ground Floor · 0202Ground floor, immediately to the left of the entrance
In rural communities the barber was not only responsible for cutting hair but often also served as a bath-keeper and tooth-puller. Historic hair dryers and fine shaving tools await you in this carefully recreated space.
Ground Floor · 0303Ground floor, immediately to the right of the entrance
Old spinning wheels, leather tools and finished goods show how laborious and time-consuming the making of clothing and everyday objects once was, from the cobbler to the fine weaver.
Master tailor (1911 to 1996) from Brake. She began a tailoring apprenticeship at 14, passed her master’s examination in 1935 and ran her business into the 1980s. For her work she received the Golden Master Certificate and the Honorary Master Certificate.
The textile department is connected to the leather workshop.
Ground Floor · 0404Ground floor, behind the textile department
Old spinning wheels, leather tools and finished goods show how laborious and time-consuming the making of clothing and everyday objects once was, from the cobbler to the fine weaver.
Shoemaker (1886 to 1978) from Rönnelmoor. For over 80 years he made and repaired shoes in his own workshop. His workbench now stands in our permanent exhibition.
A small inner window connects the leather workshop with the pharmacy.
To the cobbler’s globe05Ground floor, in the hallway
Here you pay your admission and start the free tour. You will find prices and reductions above under “Your visit” and on the Visit page.
Ground Floor · 0606Ground floor, behind the ticket desk
Step into the world of fine fragrances and historic healing arts. The faithful reconstruction is furnished with original fittings from the Laer family pharmacy. Original glass jars, antique scales and mortars bring a historic dispensary vividly to life.
A small inner window connects the pharmacy with the leather workshop.
Ground Floor · 0707Ground floor, opposite the pharmacy
From loose sugar to rough bar soap, our shop shows the regional retail trade before the era of modern supermarkets. Historic shelves, scales and nostalgic advertising signs are waiting for you.
Ground Floor · 0808Ground floor, between the ticket desk and the grocery store
On the ground floor of the stairwell we show the history of the museum.
Elaborately designed historic master certificates from a wide variety of trades adorn the staircase. These testaments to the highest craftsmanship show the pride with which master's examinations were once passed.
The door leads up the stairs to the upper floor. There is not yet a lift to the upper floor.
Up the stairs to the upper floor09Ground floor, in the back hallway
A small museum shop with regional products and souvenirs.
10Ground floor, at the back entrance
Cloakroom at the ticket desk and at the back entrance. You can leave large bags and rucksacks free of charge; there are no lockers.
11Ground floor, at the back entrance
The toilets are at the back entrance: the women’s toilet and the men’s toilet. The men’s toilet is wheelchair accessible and marked with the wheelchair symbol on the plan.
The upper floor shows the same viewing direction as the ground floor. The stairwell is to the left of the hallway.
Access You reach the upper floor only by the stairs; there is not yet a lift. We are working on digital alternatives, so please feel free to talk to us in advance.
Upper Floor · 0101Upper floor, to the left of the hallway
This is where you arrive from the ground floor. A door on the right leads into the hallway, and from there you reach all exhibition rooms.
Elaborately designed historic master certificates from a wide variety of trades adorn the staircase. These testaments to the highest craftsmanship show the pride with which master's examinations were once passed.
The stairwell connects both floors.
Down the stairs to the ground floor
Upper Floor · 0202Upper floor, in the middle
Historic guild signs, certificates and insignia of various trades from the Wesermarsch region offer insight into the organised craft life of past centuries. You find them straight ahead on the wall when you step from the stairwell into the hallway.
Historic floor-standing clocks and pocket watches, fine tools and the mechanisms with which craftsmen once made gear trains by hand. Watchmaking was a precision craft of the highest quality. You find it on the right-hand wall between the door to Photography & Optics and the Singer’s Room.
Everyday objects, housings and technical parts made of Bakelite recall how a single material shaped an entire era. The first fully synthetic plastic in history. You find this area on the right-hand wall when you step into the hallway.
Upper Floor · 0303Upper floor, to the right of the hallway
From the camera obscura to early analogue photography: historic cameras, developing equipment and optical instruments show how capturing moments was once a revolutionary art.
Upper Floor · 0404Upper floor, through the double door to the front
The Singer's Room honours significant historic personalities from the region and the men's choir, which shaped the social life of the community across generations.
The social commitment of the Zedelius siblings, the artistic legacy of Wolfgang Heimbach and many other personalities have left their traces. Portraits and personal belongings bring history to life.
An interactive digital chronicle through 650 years of local history, from the first mention in 1368 to today.
Upper Floor · 0505Upper floor, door at the end of the hallway
Elaborate wall paintings, delicate stencilling techniques and specialist tools of the painter's trade tell of design trends from past eras in the Weser Marshes region.
The traditional art of thatching continues to shape the landscape of the Weser Marshes to this day. We show you the specific tools, refined techniques and natural materials of this ancient and weatherproof craft.
From the finely crafted piece of furniture to the load-bearing roof beam: the upper floor displays the diversity of wood-working trades in tools and sample pieces of the highest craftsmanship.
The "black gold" of the marshes. Old spades, wooden carts and stories around peat extraction show how laborious and yet essential this work was for survival and heating in the region.
Our large loom from the year 1600 stands against the left wall.
All themes are in one large room. An open passage without a door leads on to Food & Home.
Upper Floor · 0606Upper floor, back left, through the Craft & Building area
Our bakehouse shows the heavy work of bakers before the age of large machines. From the heavy flour sack to the wooden peel, everything is preserved in its original state.
Historic sausage fillers, butcher's knives and the equipment of a classic slaughterhouse tell of home slaughtering and professional meat processing in the region.
Heavy equipment, cast-iron pots and coarse textiles illustrate the hard working day in the historic household, from cooking over an open fire to the time-consuming care of laundry.
You reach this area through an open passage without a door. The bakery looks out onto the museum garden.
Behind the house lies the courtyard with garden, wheelwright’s workshop, forge and special exhibition room. The numbers correspond to the aerial view.
Access The outbuildings are wheelchair accessible; the garden has low-barrier access.
Courtyard & Garden · 0202Outbuilding, own entrance from the courtyard
The room offers space for changing special exhibitions and for educational work. Mobile partitions divide the space flexibly, so the themes can be staged anew from year to year. It also serves as an event space.
Courtyard & Garden · 0303Outbuilding between the wheelwright’s workshop and the special exhibition room
In our outdoor area, a fully equipped and functional historic smithy awaits. On our event days the iron is made hot once more and the craft is demonstrated before your eyes.
We hold demonstrations and hands-on workshops, and we announce the dates in advance. Weddings also take place in the forge.
The forge connects the wheelwright’s workshop and the special exhibition room: you walk through it from one to the other.
To the current dates
Courtyard & Garden · 0404Outbuilding next to the forge
In an annex to the museum, our wheelwright's workshop shows how craftspeople once built carts, wagons and wheels for rural commerce. Specialised tools make clear the precision this craft demanded.
The room is also a meeting place for learning and experiencing: presentations, meetings, readings and workshops take place here, and weddings in bad weather. A projector, screen, workbench and seating are available.
The wheelwright’s department is currently being completely redesigned. We plan to carry this out shortly.
Courtyard & Garden · 0505Outdoor area behind the main house · Chapter Nature, Technology & Heritage
In the museum garden, impressive historic agricultural machines are accessible under the open sky. These machines show powerfully how technology and craftsmanship transformed farming in the Weser Marshes.
In the garden you find a model of the former Ovelgönne castle, a reconstructed bread oven from the 18th century and a cooking cauldron.
In the seating area you can linger, with a chess set and a drinking fountain. With the museum stones you help shape the grounds yourself.
The garden serves as an exhibition and event space and has low-barrier access.
Back into the houseOur permanent exhibition weaves historic crafts and village life across several buildings into a living picture of past centuries. The golden thread leads you through all five chapters of our collection.
Pharmacy, medicine, groceries and barber: everyday life on the historic ground floor.
Forge, wall painting, thatch, textiles, wheelwright’s workshop: the craft foundations of village life.
Bakery, butcher, kitchen: the world of food, cooking and domestic work.
Singer’s Room, photography, watchmaking, Bakelite: cultural life and the people who shaped Ovelgönne.
Peat cutting, historic large machines and master certificates: the material basis of life in the Wesermarsch.
Each year we dedicate ourselves to new aspects of the cultural history of our region. In the special exhibition room you encounter fascinating details of craft and everyday history, regional peculiarities and inspiring biographies.
Scientifically grounded, yet accessible to all: our special exhibitions complement the permanent exhibition with perspectives you will not find in any textbook.
Planning a trip with a school class, friends, a club or family? Our volunteer experts guide you through the exhibition rooms, on request also in Plattdüütsch (Low German).
The office is staffed Tuesday to Friday from 9 am to 12 noon.
The most important things for your tour. You will find everything else about getting here, prices and opening hours on the Visit page.
All visitor information and directionsFor a tour through all the rooms, allow 60 to 90 minutes. Everyone moves through the exhibition differently; some need less time, others more.
No. The tour is free; you explore house, courtyard and garden on your own and decide on the pace and order yourself. For groups we offer guided tours on request, also in English and Low German. More in the Tours section or on the Visit page.
Through the green Rococo door of the main house you enter the hallway on the ground floor. The ticket desk is there, and the free tour begins here. The plan above shows you what you will find behind which door.
The ground floor and the outbuildings are wheelchair accessible, the men’s toilet is wheelchair accessible, and the garden has low-barrier access. There is not yet a lift to the upper floor; we are working on digital alternatives. Please feel free to talk to us in advance.
With QR codes in the exhibition you call up in-depth information on your smartphone, free of charge and without an app.
The cloakroom and toilets are at the back entrance to the garden, and the cloakroom is also at the ticket desk. The museum shop is on the ground floor in the back hallway. You can leave large bags and rucksacks free of charge. There is no café, but there are places to eat in the village centre.
For personal use, gladly, without flash and without a tripod. For commercial recordings please ask us beforehand.
Unfortunately not in the narrow exhibition rooms. Assistance dogs and small dogs that are carried are welcome; on the outdoor grounds all dogs on a lead.
There is free parking at the museum and in Breite Straße, and parking areas for coaches nearby. Cyclists are welcome. The main entrance is the green Rococo door of the main house.
Enquiries and data requests about our archive are always welcome. Unfortunately, working in the archive itself is not permitted for conservation, restoration, security and space reasons.
Even when our doors are closed: turn the Time Crank, browse the digital collection or let a video guide you through the exhibition rooms.
To the Digital Museum3D scans of our exhibits and a 360-degree tour are in preparation.
LiveThe Ovelgönne Time Crank650 years of regional history to turn. It also stands in the Singer’s Room on the upper floor.