Bandwebermuseum

About the museum

The museum grew out of a school initiative in Wuppertal-Küllenhahn in 1989; its first piece was a loom from 1907 donated by a local ribbon weaver. For around thirty years the collection grew there on the Südhöhen, supported by volunteers and a friends' association. The old site closed in June 2019.

In January 2020 the Bandwebermuseum (Ribbon Weavers' Museum) reopened in the Elberfeld Nordstadt district, in the Gold-Zack building from 1910, where ribbons and braids of the well-known brand were produced for decades. The roughly 240-square-meter hall, which was packed with looms until 1960, has retained its industrial character. Since then the museum has been part of the city-run Museum Industriekultur Wuppertal and can be reached directly from the Nordbahntrasse trail.

The exhibition spans more than a hundred years of ribbon weaving and braiding, which shaped the city – in 1913 alone, thousands of ribbon looms were running in home workshops. A furnished home weaver's room shows how entire families worked together; shaft, Jacquard and sample looms are demonstrated and compared with a modern needle loom. Technical narrow fabrics from medicine, sports and industry point to today's industry.

Highlights

• Working shaft, Jacquard and sample looms in demonstration
• Furnished home ribbon weaver's room from around 1900
• Modern needle loom compared with historic technology
• Industrial hall in the Gold-Zack building from 1910
• Hands-on stations and a detective game for children

Permanent exhibitions

• Bandweberei und Flechterei in Wuppertal – Looms, braiding machines, products and documents from more than a hundred years of narrow fabric production, including a furnished home ribbon weaver's room.

Founded

1989

Operated by

Museum Industriekultur Wuppertal (Stadt Wuppertal) mit dem Förderverein Bandwebermuseum

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission and public guided tours are free; donations to the friends' association are welcome.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum is on the third floor; the elevator can only be reached via four steps.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

For children, a detective game about the weaving bird Friedolin, audio stories with Klecks and Quassel, and coloring and craft templates (also online to print out).

Getting there & parking

Reachable on foot and by bike directly from the Nordbahntrasse.

Amenities & 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