Regional Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia

Der Treudank - Heimatmuseum der Stadt Allenstein

Local history museum of the Allenstein town association in Gelsenkirchen's Dreikronenhaus, with photos, documents, and books on the city of Allenstein (Olsztyn).

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About the museum

Gelsenkirchen took over the sponsorship of the city of Allenstein in former East Prussia, and of the people expelled from Allenstein, in 1953; in 1992, a town partnership with Olsztyn followed. In January 1957, the first heritage room opened in one room of the city administration. In 1960, the collection moved to Dickampstraße 13, and in April 1971 finally to the Dreikronenhaus next to the Hans-Sachs-Haus. The city of Gelsenkirchen provides the rooms free of charge.

The museum, covering around 100 square meters on the fifth floor, consists of a corridor serving as a picture gallery and four themed rooms; a fifth room houses the library and archive. On display are large-format historical and current photographs, mementos, certificates, and documents on the city's history, for example on the 1910 trade exhibition and the 1920 plebiscite, as well as works by Allenstein artists. A centerpiece is the Golden Book bearing the signature of a Prussian prince from 1910. The migration of Allenstein residents to Gelsenkirchen is also a theme.

The name recalls the Allenstein state theater "Der Treudank," which was built as a thank-you for the population's loyalty during the 1920 plebiscite. The museum is run by the Stadtgemeinschaft Allenstein e. V. (Allenstein town community association). The library holds around 600 volumes and a digital card index of more than 20,000 people.

Highlights

Local history museum on the city of Allenstein (Olsztyn) in the Dreikronenhaus
Large-format historical photographs and documents
Golden Book from 1910
Corner with works by Allenstein artists
Library with around 600 volumes on Allenstein and East Prussia