One-of-a-Kind Museums in MV: From Outlandish to Orchestral, All with a Twist: Unique Museums in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
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Gear up for a fascinating tour! The northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is crammed with over 200 museums, each born out of personal passion. These unique attractions offer immersive, unforgettable experiences. To celebrate International Museum Day, here's a peek at some incredible museums sprinkled across the region.
Prora Oldtimer and NVA Museum
Travel back in time with this one-of-a-kind museum nestled in the vacation hotspot of Prora on the island of Rügen. Started by railway enthusiast Ludger Guttwein from Paderborn, this museum started as a railway museum, then morphed into a remarkable display of 40 years worth of German automotive history across 10,000 square meters. The museum's collection is further enriched by an exhibition of NVA military technology, inclusive of tanks, helicopters, and MiG 21s, as well as an extensive motorcycle exhibition. With over 80,000 guests in the last year, and aiming for 100,000 this year, it's clear that this family-led establishment packs a punch.
Skurrileum Stralsund
Head to the vibrant, historic city of Stralsund to immerse yourself in the "Skurrileum - Museum for Comical Art," housed in a 1930s brick warehouse. Founder Werner Feurich boldly declares the museum to be the "spokesperson of humor in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern." The museum features temporary, rotating exhibitions, primarily cartoons, with this year's lineup showcasing paintings by Rolf Tiemann under the title "Masterpieces of Comical Art." The Skurrileum, which opened in 2012, attracts approximately 20,000 visitors annually, including notable guests like former Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Gemstone & Amber Center Neuheide
Robby Krasselt, a skilled taxidermist, established the Natural Treasure Chamber in Neuheide near Graal-Müritz, boasting a wide variety of expertly preserved plant and animal species, from fence lizards to sea eagles. Later on, the Kunde family, a family actively involved in the gemstone trade, joined forces to expand the exhibition, adding gemstones and minerals. Thomas Kunde, a family member, proudly proclaims, "The finest pieces come to our museum." The private museum exhibits over 2,000 pieces of gemstones, varying from diamonds to opals, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires, to various forms of jade. Visitors are drawn to the museum's ten exhibition areas with approximately 60,000 exhibits sprawling over 1,000 square meters, attracting around 25,000 visitors per year.
Ostsee-Grenzturm Museum Kühlungsborn
The demolition of Kühlungsborn's former coastal border watchtower narrowly missed after reunification. A society was quickly formed for preserving the tower, and today, it stands open for visitors, who can ascend its heights and learn about the stories of those who attempted to flee from the GDR across the Baltic Sea to the West. Authentic artifacts, including a folding boat used for escape, are on display, along with tales of both successful escapes and tragic fates. "Among once 27 watchtowers along the DDR's Baltic coast, only two remain, ours and one in Bögerende," says the museum's long-time, oldest-serving member, Matthias Furter. Prior to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Ostsee-Grenzturm Museum welcomed approximately 7,000 visitors every year.
Mecklenburgisches Orgelmuseum Malchow
Friedrich Drese, an expert on pipe organs in the Protestant Church of Mecklenburg, dedicated his energy to saving the "patients" – vintage pipe organs no longer played or broken and without funding for repair. He found the perfect home for these historical masterpieces in Malchow, where the Mecklenburg Organ Museum in the monastery church was born. Eleven historically restored organs grace the halls of the museum, and visitors listen as the instruments play. This museum not only tells the story of organs and Mecklenburg organ building but serves as a cultural hub for music enthusiasts, attracting around 15,000 visitors each year. The museum is backed by an association, which receives financial support from the city of Malchow.
Add these unique museums to your bucket list for a mind-expanding journey through the rich cultural and historical landscape of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Each museum offers a unique perspective into the region's captivating past and provides immersive, interactive experiences brimming with personality and charm.
The Commission might also be 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, considering the vast number of museums in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern that showcase varied artifacts, from automobiles at the Prora Oldtimer and NVA Museum to gemstones at the Gemstone & Amber Center Neuheide. Visitors to these unique museums can learn about the region's history while adopting an eco-friendly lifestyle, as they explore the exhibits in their homes-and-gardens-turned-museums.
