Deutsches Werkzeugmuseum

About the museum

The museum grew out of the tool collection of the municipal local history museum, which the City of Remscheid ran from 1927 in Haus Cleff, a residence and trading house of Bergisch tool merchants built in 1778/79 in the Hasten district. In 1967, a separate tool museum was established right next door, and in 1970 it was named the Deutsches Werkzeugmuseum. In the 1990s, a spacious new building with a new concept followed, opening in the fall of 1998.

The permanent exhibition spans stone tools of the Paleolithic, the Bronze and Iron Ages, and the Middle Ages through industrialization to computer-controlled manufacturing. One focus is the worldwide tool trade, which earned Remscheid the nickname “Seestadt auf dem Berge” (seaport on the mountain). The centerpiece is a steam engine with a flywheel nearly four meters across, complete with its transmission. Exhibits from the history of technology include the world's first industrial electric arc furnace from 1906, with which Richard Lindenberg produced electric steel, the Mannesmann brothers' rolling mills for seamless tubes, and a cast steel bell from 1853. At hands-on stations, visitors can try out tools themselves.

Together, the museum and Haus Cleff form the city's Historisches Zentrum (Historic Center). After more than ten years of renovation, Haus Cleff reopened in 2025 with an exhibition by Wolfgang Tillmans. Since April 2026, the entire ensemble has been closed for a further construction phase, during which the trading house, among other things, is being converted into a café.

Highlights

• Steam engine with a flywheel nearly four meters across and its transmission
• The world's first industrial electric arc furnace (1906)
• Mannesmann rolling mills for seamless tubes
• Tools from the Stone Age to CNC manufacturing
• Hands-on stations to try things out

Permanent exhibitions

• Vom Faustkeil bis Industrie 4.0 – Permanent exhibition on the development of tools, the tool industry, and the tool trade from the Stone Age to today, with a steam engine, an electric arc furnace, and hands-on stations (currently closed).

Founded

1967

Operated by

Stadt Remscheid (Historisches Zentrum)

Director

Dr. Gisela Parak

Admission & discounts

Price list from before the closure (still published on the website). Workshops free for children, €3.50 for adults.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• 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

According to the museum, wheelchair-accessible; a push wheelchair is available; two accessible parking spaces behind the museum. No restroom facilities are available during the construction work.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Kids’ birthday parties

Hands-on stations to try out, children's tours (also in the dark with Balduin Keks), workshops for grandparents and grandchildren, and children's birthday parties by arrangement; limited during the renovation.

Getting there & parking

Because parking is scarce in the Hasten district, the museum recommends arriving by bus.

Amenities & dining

A café is expected to open in the Kontorhaus (counting house) in winter 2026/27.

Events & venue rental

Due to the construction work, no rental inquiries are being accepted and no events are being held until further notice.

Plan your visit