Eisenkunstguss Museum Büdelsdorf

About the museum

The foundation of the collection is the Carlshütte, which the merchant Marcus Hartwig Holler founded in Büdelsdorf in 1827 – the first industrial company in the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. From 1883 the Ahlmann family shaped the ironworks. After her husband's death, Käte Ahlmann took over management in 1931 and expanded the foundry to at times as many as 2,500 employees. For her 70th birthday in 1960, she endowed a museum so that the cast iron collection she had assembled over decades could be permanently shown to the public.

The Danish architect Carl Storgård designed a single-story, flat-roofed building of four wings around an inner courtyard across from the works site. The museum opened in 1963; the founder had died a few months earlier. In 1981 the state acquired the collection, and the building passed to the Rendsburg-Eckernförde district and later to the city. Since 2010 the museum has belonged to the Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen as a branch of Schloss Gottorf.

With the estate of Käte Ahlmann's son Josef-Severin Ahlmann, the museum was renovated from 2011 to 2016, Storgård's original spatial concept was uncovered again, and the exhibition was redesigned; the reopening was on July 1, 2016, followed in 2017 by the "Zertifiziertes Museum" quality seal. The collection combines the former company collection of the Carlshütte with holdings of the Thaulow-Museum and ranges from the late 15th to the 21st century; around 5,000 further objects and numerous casting models are stored in the depot.

Highlights

• Around 180 exhibits from a monument to a person to a coffee grinder
• Products of the Carlshütte, the first industrial company in Schleswig-Holstein
• Comparison pieces from Prussian foundries, Ilsenburg, Mägdesprung, and Kasli in Russia
• Light installation "flowing iron" as a guidance system through the museum
• Museum building by the Danish architect Carl Storgård around an inner courtyard
• Media guide to download to your own smartphone

Permanent exhibitions

• Dauerausstellung Eisenkunstguss – Around 180 objects tell of the production and cultural-historical significance of cast iron in the 19th century – from stove plates and household goods to monuments, with pieces from the Carlshütte and other important ironworks.

Founded

1963

Operated by

Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen Schloss Gottorf

Director

Ulrike Biedenbänder

Visitors per year

approx. 4,061 (2018)

Admission & discounts

With a NordArt ticket, 50% off admission until November 1, 2026. Museum vouchers of the Landesmuseen are also valid here.

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
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

All exhibition rooms are accessible for wheelchair users and parents with strollers. The program includes tours in German Sign Language; information about the museum is also available in Easy Language and sign language on the website.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly
• Kids’ birthday parties

Family tour "Carls Reise" (Carl's Journey) with the cast-iron museum pig Carl (approx. 45 minutes). Children's birthday parties with a tour, wax casting in sand molds, and games such as horseshoe throwing (3 hours, booking at least 4 weeks in advance). All rooms are reachable with strollers.

Getting there & parking

About 2.4 km from Rendsburg station, about 25 minutes on foot. The museum is across from the former Carlshütte grounds with the NordArt.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop with catalogs and products of the Landesmuseen.

Events & venue rental

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

Plan your visit