Deutsches Feuerwehr-Museum

About the museum

The Deutsches Feuerwehr-Museum (German Fire Brigade Museum) was created on the initiative of Germany's fire services: in 1963 a supporting association was founded in Fulda that collected equipment, vehicles and documents from the history of fire protection. In 1988 the museum moved into a new building in the Neuenberg district on the edge of the Fulda floodplain. Two large halls linked by a connecting building, with replica house facades, form a kind of streetscape; the large equipment stands in sunken pits so that it can be viewed easily from raised walkways – including from a wheelchair or at a child's height.

The exhibition treats firefighting history not only as a history of technology but also as social and contemporary history. Hall 1 ranges from the first uses of fire through medieval firefighting regulations to the end of World War I, the connecting building shows the development of motorized pumps, and Hall 2 covers the motorization of fire brigades up to the 1990s, including the role of the fire service under National Socialism and civil defense in the Cold War. A visitor depot with some 25 large vehicles, a fire garden with plants related to the theme of fire, and an archive with a specialist library round out the museum.

At the end of 2025, the museum association and the historical collection of the THW-Bundesvereinigung (federal association of the Technisches Hilfswerk, Germany's civil protection agency) merged into a joint association. Plans call for a museum of the German fire services and the Technisches Hilfswerk on the history of civil protection, funded by the federal government; in fall 2026 the city of Fulda proposed a new site on Weimarer Straße for it. Until then the museum remains open at its current location.

Highlights

• World's oldest surviving wheeled hand-pumped fire engine (1624)
• Oldest known horse-drawn turntable ladder (1808)
• World's first electrically powered turntable ladder vehicle (1903) and a working steam fire engine (1903)
• Lavishly decorated hand-pumped fire engines from the Baroque and Neoclassical periods
• Visitor depot with some 25 large vehicles
• Fire garden with plants such as stinging nettle, red hot poker and Amur maple (Feuerahorn)

Permanent exhibitions

• Halle 1: Vom Mittelalter bis 1918 – A journey through time from the early use of fire through urban firefighting regulations to firefighting technology at the end of World War I, featuring the world's oldest wheeled hand-pumped fire engine.
• Halle 2: Motorisierung bis in die 1990er Jahre – Fire engines from the beginning of motorization to the present, as well as the fire service under National Socialism, during the postwar economic miracle and in Cold War civil defense.
• Besucherdepot – A behind-the-scenes look at some 25 large vehicles; part of the space is used for changing special exhibitions (surcharge).

Founded

1963

Operated by

Verein des Museums der Deutschen Feuerwehren und des Technischen Hilfswerks in Fulda (Deutscher Feuerwehrverband und THW-Bundesvereinigung)

Director

Bernd Müller-Strauß

Admission & discounts

Gift vouchers for museum visits are available, including with a private guided tour or a champagne reception.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• 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 large vehicles stand in sunken pits surrounded by raised walkways, so wheelchair users and children can also look into the equipment.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Playground / play area
• Kids’ birthday parties

Children's play corner and a fire engine cab to climb into in Hall 1; children's birthday parties with an age-appropriate tour and the option of cake and drinks.

Getting there & parking

By car from the north via the Fulda-Nord exit and the B 27, from the south via the Fulda-Süd exit, the B 27 and the B 254 (Frankfurter Straße); from there follow the signs for "Deutsches Feuerwehr-Museum".

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop with toys, models and specialist literature.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 140 guests.

The "Marktplatz" (marketplace) between the historic facades in Hall 1 and the adjoining areas can seat up to 140 people at tables, with catering by partner companies; supporting program with a guided tour, fire brigade band or "Feuerwehrolympiade" (firefighter games) available. There is also a conference room on the upper floor of the old fire station.

Plan your visit