Bakelit-Museum Kierspe
Free association museum in the Altes Amtshaus of Kierspe with several thousand Bakelite objects from the region's plastics production.
About the museum
In the 20th century, Kierspe and the surrounding area in the Märkisches Sauerland were a center of plastics processing, where numerous companies pressed objects out of Bakelite. Bakelite is regarded as the first fully synthetic plastic produced industrially on a large scale, and for a long time it shaped everyday products from the telephone to the light switch.
To make this tradition visible, the Heimatverein Kierspe set up a museum of its own in 2003. Its foundation is the collection of Kierspe manufacturer Carl-Heinz Vollmann, owner of the company Reppel & Vollmann, who gathered around 5,000 objects and left them to the association.
The museum is housed in the listed Altes Amtshaus in the district of Kierspe-Dorf, which served as the seat of the administration until 1986. Several thousand exhibits are shown in changing arrangements, including kitchen appliances, radios, light switches, dashboards, ashtrays, bicycle handlebar grips, and typewriters, many of them made locally.
The museum is run on a volunteer basis by the Heimatverein, which also maintains the Industriemuseum Schleiper Hammer and the Fritz-Linde-Museum in Kierspe. The museums are linked by the Museumsroute Kierspe.
Highlights
- Several thousand Bakelite objects
- Collection of Kierspe manufacturer Carl-Heinz Vollmann
- Everyday products such as radios, telephones, and light switches
- Listed Altes Amtshaus
- Free admission
Permanent exhibitions
- Bakelit-Sammlung – Several thousand everyday objects made of Bakelite, many from Kierspe production, in a changing presentation.
- Founded
- 2003
- Operated by
- Heimatverein Kierspe e.V.
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free admission, donations welcome.
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
Amtshaus
MVG bus lines 59 and 82 to the stop Amtshaus
By car
Parking available
Parking lot at the Altes Amtshaus
The Altes Amtshaus is on the L 528 in Kierspe-Dorf.
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 |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Group visits and tours by prior registration with the Heimatverein Kierspe. |
