A house &
its history.
The historic townhouse of Ovelgönne: a living learning place, open meeting space, and our largest exhibit all at once.
We are not a silent archive. We are a living place of encounter, where history is not only preserved but truly experienced.
As a non-profit cultural institution in the spirit of the ICOM (International Council of Museums), we see ourselves as a permanent institution in the service of society. We collect, preserve, research, interpret, and present the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of crafts in the Wesermarsch region, for the present and for all future generations.
Our museum is more than a collection of objects. It is a place where people come together, ask questions, and history comes alive. We stand for an open, inclusive, and ethically acting cultural institution that reflects the diversity of its community, driven by volunteering, passion, and the deep belief that regional cultural history concerns everyone.
A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing.
ICOM Museum Definition · Prague 2022 · We align our work with this definition.
The historic townhouse.
The listed Oldenburg gabled house was built in 1773 by the advocate and court usher Rumpf as a representative manor. With its characteristic architecture, creaking floorboards, and the patina that has grown over centuries, the building itself is our most important exhibit. An authentic testimony of northwestern German civic architecture of the 18th century awaits you.
Over its more than 250 years, the house has undergone a remarkable transformation: from a stately home through various private uses to the living museum of today. Every floorboard, every beam, and every room height carries the stories of those who once lived and worked here. This "Genius Loci", the spirit of the place, makes your visit an experience that goes far beyond merely looking at exhibits.
In the course of extensive renovation work, the protected house was carefully modernised without losing its historic character. The newly constructed outbuildings now house a fully functional historic forge as well as modern rooms for educational work, museum pedagogy, and our workshops. The tried and tested and the new enter into an exciting dialogue here, which you can experience up close.
Plan your visitDiscover our house in detail
Our biggest exhibit is the house itself. It was built in 1773, and if you look closely there is still plenty to discover on the facade today. Tap the dots in the photo or let us guide you through the seven stations.
01 · The facade
Built of brick
The house is built entirely of brick. In the 18th century that was something special, because the region mostly built half-timbered houses back then. The white limewash protects the bricks from the weather and makes the wall look as smooth as natural stone.
02 · The doorway
A welcome since 1773
Our front door is a real rarity in northern Germany. Since 1773 it has welcomed everyone who enters the house. The restoration took more than four months, and on 5 December 2025 we formally reopened the door.
03 · The gable
Not always the same ornament
At the very top a small sculpture crowns the house. Today it is an angel's head with a flower shield. Something quite different used to stand there.
Station 1 of 7 · Facade
Wall anchors
The black irons on the wall hold the gable to the timber beams inside. At the same time they form the year 1773, when the house was built.
Station 2 of 7 · Facade
The doorway
The green and white front door is made in the style of the late rococo and is the house's calling card. The next view shows it in detail.
Station 3 of 7 · Facade
The windows
The many small panes are typical of the period around 1773, when large sheets of glass were still costly to make. Spread across three windows, the word MUSEUM reads on the outside.
Station 4 of 7 · Doorway
The fanlight
Above the door sits a curved, finely divided window. It brought daylight into the hallway behind it. In the upper corners you can spot small shell shapes.
Station 5 of 7 · Doorway
The panels
On the door leaf, white swirls wind around green fields. These irregular, shell-like C and S shapes are called rocaille and are typical of the rococo.
Station 6 of 7 · Gable
Today: angel's head and flower shield
A painted relief crowns the top: an angel's head with outspread wings above a curved shield with blossoms and fruit. Motifs like these stood for protection, blessing and prosperity.
Station 7 of 7 · Gable
Until 1945: the pine cone
From 1773 to 1945 a stone pine cone crowned the gable. Since antiquity it has stood for life and new beginnings. On 14 May 1945 the blast wave of the ammunition explosion at Ovelgönne station brought it down. Today you can see it here in the house.
From residential house to museum.
A house that carries the history of the Wesermarsch. From its construction in 1773 to the living present.
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Anno1773
The houseThe construction
Advocate and court usher Rumpf has the house built in brick as a representative manor. As one of the best-preserved townhouses of its time in the Wesermarsch, it is a listed monument today and celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2023.
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In between lie more than 200 years in which the house was privately owned. The families who lived here include Rumpf, Schnittger and Waack.
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Year1978The collection
The foundation
Our museum begins life as the "Local History Collection of Crafts and Trade", small and assembled by volunteers in the house at Breite Straße 27. The idea behind it: not to lock history behind glass, but to share it, explain it and make it accessible to everyone.
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May1981
Opening in 1981 with municipal director Ingo Hashagen The openingNorth German Crafts Museum
On the initiative of the then municipal director Ingo Hashagen, the collection opens its doors to the public for the first time on 17 May 1981 as the "North German Crafts Museum" and meets with enormous interest. It quickly develops into an important regional cultural centre.
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Year1991New name
Handwerkermuseum Ovelgönne
Before:
North German Crafts MuseumA museological concept commissioned by the district recommends a stronger profile. The new name underlines the museum's ties to its location and brings the rural and small-town crafts of the Wesermarsch into focus.
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Year1997New sponsor
The sponsoring association
The Heimat- und Kulturverein Ovelgönne e.V. takes over the sponsorship from the municipality and secures the house's future. The museum becomes a community project, supported by volunteer commitment, private funding and active members who keep it alive with time, expertise and passion.
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Year2002New name
Crafts Museum Ovelgönne
Before:
Handwerkermuseum OvelgönneFollowing extensive renovation, the first major special exhibition opens in the newly redesigned house. From now on it operates as Crafts Museum Ovelgönne, the name under which we still stand for the living crafts and everyday history of the Wesermarsch today.
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Today
The museumMuseum on the move
Following the renovation of the main building and the construction of a modern annex, the Crafts Museum is a contemporary cultural venue combining tradition and innovation. A fully functional historic forge, workshop spaces for school classes and groups, and the gradual expansion of our digital offerings show: the museum is a place of active doing.
What you experience with us.
Collect, preserve, research, exhibit, communicate. Five tasks that form the foundation of every cultural institution. Here in Ovelgönne, they are not theory. They are lived practice, inclusive, participative and open to all.
Collect
Every object tells a story of the Wesermarsch. That is why we systematically collect and document everyday objects, tools, and craft materials from the region, so that individual finds grow into a collection that you can rediscover on every visit.
Preserve
So that you too can stand before genuine originals in ten or fifty years' time, professional conservation and careful storage secure every object in our collection for future generations.
Research
There is more to every exhibit than meets the eye at first glance. In close cooperation with the University of Oldenburg, we index the collection scientifically and write object biographies that you can find in guided tours and exhibition texts.
Exhibit
Across roughly 520 m², you meet our collection not behind glass, but in an authentic historical setting: open, accessible, and inviting, regardless of age, prior knowledge, or background.
Educate
Guided tours, hands-on workshops, school programmes, and digital offerings bring history within reach. We explain on-site why traditional crafts are still relevant today, for children as well as adults.
A Third Place for everyone.
The concept of the "Third Place" describes public spaces that are neither home nor the workplace. They are places where people can comfortably come together, meet, and exchange ideas. That is exactly what we want to be for you: an inviting meeting point for the entire community of Ovelgönne and far beyond.
For school classes, we offer age-appropriate guided tours and hands-on workshops. Here, children and young people can not only see historical craft techniques but try them out for themselves. The spectrum ranges from blacksmithing to traditional processing techniques and searching for clues in our permanent exhibition. We are convinced that history can be grasped much better with one's hands than exclusively from books.
We understand accessibility as an attitude and not just as a structural task. This includes tactile exhibits for people with visual impairments as well as plain language in our exhibition texts. Our growing digital offering also helps ensure that no one remains excluded from our cultural history, even if personal travel is not possible. We are consistently working on continuously improving your access to our heritage.
Discover educational offers
Kulturleuchten Ovelgönne 2023
What we stand for.
We want to be more than a museum. As the cultural heart of the Ovelgönne community, we promote the exchange between generations, traditions, and perspectives. Three principles guide us in this, in everyday life, in education, and in the development of our house.
Inspire curiosity
We present regional craft history not as a rigid past, but as a living, interactive experience. Objects should be touched, tried out, and questioned. Because genuine enthusiasm for history does not arise from distance, but from encounter. We want people to leave our house full of enthusiasm and still be thinking about it days later.
Connect people
Our museum brings people together: young and old, newcomers and locals, craft tradition and modern life. Whoever visits us meets people with stories. And whoever gets to know our association finds a community that reaches far beyond the museum visit.
Break down barriers
Inclusion is not a buzzword for us, but a concrete, daily promise. Clear language in our exhibition texts, tactile exhibits for people with visual impairments, step-reduced access, and a growing digital offering: we are working step by step to ensure that truly everyone can participate in our cultural history. Culture belongs to everyone!
Our Network.
Good museum work is not done alone. As a founding member of the Network of Museums in the Wesermarsch District, we are actively integrated into the regional cultural landscape and work together with other institutions on cross-cutting projects and exhibitions. Membership in the Lower Saxony and Bremen Museum Association ensures our access to advanced training, professional advice, and statewide quality standards. As a cooperation museum of the University of Oldenburg, we combine regional cultural work with scientific research and give students practical insights into contemporary museum work.
