Zeppelin- & Garnisonsmuseum Tønder
Museum near the former airship base at Tønder: Zeppelins in the First World War, the air raid of 1918 and the garrison town until 2002.
About the museum
In the First World War, when Tønder still belonged to the German Empire, the Imperial Navy set up a large airship base a few kilometers north of the town. It was planned as early as September 1914, and by March 1915 the first two 180-meter-long hangars were standing. With its own gasworks, waterworks, power station, heating plant, workshops, weather service and barracks for about 600 soldiers, the base was almost a small town in itself.
On July 19, 1918, the base became the target of the first air raid launched from an aircraft carrier. Afterward, airship operations in Tønder ended. After the reunification of Northern Schleswig with Denmark in 1920, the Danish military took over the site, and Tønder remained a garrison town into the 2000s.
The museum opened on May 8, 1999, in its own premises on Gasværkvej directly next to the former base site. It collects, preserves and presents Tønder's military history from 1914 to 2002. On display are photographs, documents and objects from the time of the base, including original airship propellers, uniforms, weapons, as well as accounts and bomb remnants from the 1918 attack. The garrison section shows vehicles that the Danish army used in Tønder after the Second World War, such as a Sherman tank.
Highlights
- Original propellers of the Navy airships
- Bomb remnants and accounts of the attack of July 19, 1918
- Sherman tank M4A3E4 and other military vehicles
- Tours to the foundation remains of the airship hangars
- Founded
- 1999
Admission & discounts
| Adults | DKK 75 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | DKK 35Price for children aged 8 to 16. |
| Groups | DKK 90 per personGroup price including a guided tour; booking by email only. |
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
No bus service: bus line 46 (Tønder–Kolding) passes the museum but does not stop there.
About 3 km from the center of Tønder; bike and walking path along Ribe Landevej. By car via main road 11 or the bypass toward Ribe; the museum is about 300 m after the roundabout on the right-hand side, just past the turnoff to "Soldateskoven" and the old base grounds.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 2 hrs |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours in the museum by advance registration, also outside opening hours. For clubs and groups there is also a guided tour of about two hours across the former Zeppelin base grounds with the last foundations of the airship hangars; booking by email only and at least three weeks in advance. |
