Wacky to Intriguing, Always Engaging: Unique Museums in MV
A laugh-out-loud, affectionate exploration: One-of-a-kind museums found on Martha's Vineyard. - Unconventional to peculiar, yet filled with affection: Unique museums scattered across the beautiful island of Martha's Vineyard
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Discover the hidden gems and offbeat attractions of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV), that's right, more than 200 museums conquering this region! With a majority born from personal passion, these hidden houses guarantee an extraordinary encounter. Here's a peek at some of the unique museums for the International Museum Day, setting a spin this Sunday.
Prora Oldtimer and NVA Museum
It commenced with railway fanatic and collector Ludger Guttwein from Paderborn, establishing the railway museum. Later, he showcased 40 years of German-German automotive history across a whopping 10,000 square meters hall in Prora, Rügen. The exhibit expanded to include NVA Soviet military technology, vehicles, and even pilotable MiG 21s. With the family business in full swing, son Timo also jumped on board. Last year witnessed over 80,000 visitors, and this year predictions hover around 100,000.
Skurrileum Stralsund
Werner Feurich, a self-proclaimed humor crusader, runs the "Skurrileum – Museum for Comical Art" housed in a 1930s brick warehouse in Stralsund. Feurich describes it as "the spearhead of humor in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern." This 700 square meter private museum hosts ever-changing exhibits, including cartoons and contemporary paintings. This year, Feurich, a transplant from Marburg, will display paintings by Rolf Tiemann under the title "Masterpieces of Comical Art." The Skurrileum, established in 2012, is open in the warm season, this year from Easter to October. Approximately 20,000 patrons find their way to the museum annually, including former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Natural Treasure Chamber, Gemstone & Amber Center Neuheide
Talent Robby Krasselt initiated the Natural Treasure Chamber in Neuheide near Graal-Müritz, featuring an impressive array of preserved fauna and flora. The Kunde family, active in the gemstone trade, later joined forces and expanded the exhibit to include gemstones and minerals. Highlights include 2,000 exhibits of gemstones, diamonds to opals, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires, as well as varied jade types. Local amber is also represented. Ten exhibition areas occupy around 1,000 square meters of space. The museum attracts around 25,000 visitors annually.
Ostsee-Grenzturm Museum Kühlungsborn
The demolition of the former coastal border watchtower was narrowly avoided post-the-Wall, leading to the creation of a society dedicated to preserving it. Today, visitors can traverse the watchtower and tour the museum, listening to stories of those who attempted to escape from East Germany across the Baltic Sea toward the West. Objects like a folding boat used for escape are on display, recounting both triumphs and tragedies. Before the pandemic, about 7,000 patrons visited the museum each year.
Mecklenburg Organ Museum, Malchow
Friedrich Drese, once the organ expert of the Evangelical State Church in Mecklenburg, witnessed the decline of masterpieces from centuries past. Seeking a haven for these "ailing" machines, Drese discovered the monastery church in Malchow. Today, the church hosts eleven historically crucial organs, lovingly restored and ready for performance. The museum goes beyond preserving organs, offering a glimpse into Mecklenburg organ building's past and presenting live concerts. This heartwarming museum delights around 15,000 visitors yearly, with support from Malchow's City Association.
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
- Prora
- Sunday
- Kühlungsborn
- Mecklenburg
- Museum Day
- Paderborn
- Helicopter
- Mikoyan-Gurevich
- Baltic Sea
- Stralsund
- 1930s
- Marburg
Extra Bits: A Closer Look at MV Museums
- DDR Museum (Malchow): Engaging and ideology-free, explores everyday life in East Germany, Cold War history, and East German culture.
- Schwerin Castle: Royal art, furnishings, architectural mix, historical and political significance.
- Schloss Ludwigslust: Flemish art masterpieces, royal apartments, grandeur of ducal palaces.
- Güstrow Renaissance Schloss: Renaissance architecture, history museum, period art exhibitions.
These museums provide visitors unique glimpses into Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s historical treasures, from the royal palaces to the intricacies of everyday life in the Cold War era.
The Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the protection of the environment, given the growth in popularity of various museums that showcase the natural treasure chamber in MV, such as the Natural Treasure Chamber, Gemstone & Amber Center Neuheide. As one investigates the lifestyle and home-and-garden offerings at these unique museums, it's fascinating to observe the preservation of rare gemstones and local amber representative of the region.
