Deutsches Pinsel- und Bürstenmuseum
Museum in Bechhofen on the history and technology of the brush and paintbrush making trade, with over 3,000 exhibits and historic machines.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Bechhofen an der Heide has been regarded as a centre of brush production since the late 18th century; even today a large share of the mascara brushes used worldwide come from the town and its surroundings. On the initiative of local brush and paintbrush manufacturers – including Georg Karl jun. of the company GEKA and Karl Zahn – the German Brush Museum was founded in 1985 and set up in premises on Dinkelsbühler Straße.
The collection has grown to more than 3,000 objects and documents the craft in a breadth unique in Europe. The tour begins under the roof with the early history of the paintbrush and brush, the guild system and raw materials such as bristles, animal hair and plant fibres. Below, the various manufacturing techniques are explained – from hand-drawn bristle setting through twisted and glued brushes to the making of Asian calligraphy brushes. On the ground floor stand machines of industrial production.
Further rooms are devoted to customs and superstition around brooms and brushes as well as to social history: a reconstructed home worker's room shows the conditions under which whole families worked for piece rates in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The museum is run by volunteers. An audio-video guide via QR code shows machines and techniques in action; a museum shop and a delicacies gallery with regional products complete the visit.
Highlights
- Over 3,000 exhibits on the brush and paintbrush making trade
- Historic machines of the brush industry
- Reconstructed home worker's room
- Asian calligraphy brushes
- Audio-video guide via QR code
Permanent exhibition
- Vom Handwerk zur Industrie – Tour across four floors from the oldest paintbrushes and brushes through raw materials and manufacturing techniques to machines and the social history of home working.
- Founded
- 1985
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €2.50 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | €1.50free up to age 9 · Children up to 9 years free; young people from 10 years €1.50 |
| Groups (15+ people) | €1.50 per personper person for 15 or more people |
| Families | €6 |
| Guided tour (flat rate, plus admission) | €25 |
The adult price applies from age 18.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Delicacies gallery with regional specialities and a coffee corner; museum shop with paintbrushes and brushes from Bechhofen.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours all year round, also outside opening hours, with timely registration on 09822 10829. Audio-video guide: QR codes at several stations show films about techniques and machines on your own smartphone. |
