Deutsches Zollmuseum

About the museum

The Deutsches Zollmuseum sees itself as the successor to the Reichszollmuseum (Reich Customs Museum), founded in Berlin in 1927 and destroyed in World War II. It opened in Hamburg on May 21, 1992; its holdings include collections from the former Zollkriminalinstitut (customs criminal investigation institute) in Cologne and the tax museum in Brühl. It is run by the federal customs administration.

The museum is housed in the former Kornhausbrücke customs office in the Speicherstadt. The site served as a clearance point from the time the free port was established, took its current name in the 1920s, was most recently specialized in clearing carpets, and was closed as a customs office in 1985. The exhibition was extensively modernized between 2006 and 2008.

Around 1,000 objects are on display across roughly 800 square meters. The upper floor traces customs history from the Roman provinces through the German Zollverein (customs union) to the customs administration of East Germany, while the first floor presents customs work today – from wildlife protection and product piracy to drug smuggling and the fight against undeclared work. Visitors come across spectacular smuggling hiding places and service vehicles such as a "Besen-Porsche" and the "Grüner Elefant" (Green Elephant) motorcycle combination. The largest exhibit is the 1976 customs boat "Oldenburg", moored at the museum as a museum boat since 2005.

Highlights

• Customs boat "Oldenburg" (1976), a walk-through museum boat since 2005
• Smugglers' hiding places, such as an aircraft engine that concealed 74 kg of cocaine
• "Besen-Porsche" 356A of the Aachen customs investigation service and the Zündapp sidecar combination "Grüner Elefant"
• Customs history from Roman times to East Germany
• Guided tours led by customs officers

Permanent exhibitions

• Historische Abteilung – On the upper floor, a tour leads from the first customs duties of Roman times through the Zollverein and the German Empire to the customs administration of East Germany and reunification.
• Zoll in der Gegenwart – The first floor presents the tasks of customs today, such as wildlife protection, product piracy, weapons and drug smuggling, and inspections against undeclared work.
• Museumszollboot „Oldenburg“ – The first aluminum customs boat operated in the North Sea from 1976 and has been open to visitors at the museum since 2005.

Founded

1992

Operated by

Generalzolldirektion (Zollverwaltung des Bundes)

Admission & discounts

No reduced prices are listed on the website.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• 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 museum describes itself as accessible; no information is given about the museum boat.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Kids’ birthday parties

Children's tours "Zoll ist toll" (Customs Is Cool) for school classes and children's birthday parties (Tue–Fri, from 10 participants, by registration); children search for, among other things, smuggling hiding places.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

Virtual 3D tour of the customs boat "Oldenburg" online.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit