Erdölmuseum Reinkenhagen

About the museum

In 1961 a well near Reinkenhagen struck oil at a depth of about 2,300 meters – the first successful discovery on the territory of the GDR. This led to a production region in the northeast of the country with further fields around Grimmen, Richtenberg and Lütow on Usedom. In Reinkenhagen itself, oil was produced for more than 35 years until production ended in 1996.

Experts from the oil and gas industry set up a museum in the former social building of the field headquarters, which opened on June 4, 1994. It is a museum of the municipality of Sundhagen; since 1995 the friends' association "Erdöl und Heimat" has looked after the care and expansion of the collection.

On about 300 square meters in the building and an outdoor area of more than 6,400 square meters, over 2,000 exhibits show the formation and exploration of deposits, the geology of the region, and drilling, testing and production technology up to offshore operations. The focus is the development of the Grimmen oil operation from 1962 to 2001. A local heritage room complements the museum with documents and agricultural tools on local history.

Highlights

• Technical monument at the drill site of the GDR's first successful oil well
• Complete mobile test unit of type A50
• Offshore rescue capsule from the Dutch North Sea
• Drill cores on the geological structure of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
• Local heritage room with a Mecklenburg hook plow from 1830

Permanent exhibitions

• Dauerausstellung zur Erdöl- und Erdgasindustrie – Exhibits, picture panels and documents explain geology, deposit exploration, drilling and production technology, and the foreign and offshore operations of the GDR oil industry; also a mineral and fossil collection.
• Freigelände der ehemaligen Feldzentrale – Large equipment such as a downhole pump drive, test unit, mud pump, drill drive and numerous original tools stand at the site of the first successful well.
• Heimatstube Reinkenhagen – Documents and everyday objects tell the local history since the Middle Ages; historic agricultural tools stand outdoors.

Founded

1994

Operated by

Gemeinde Sundhagen (betreut vom Förderverein „Erdöl und Heimat“ e. V.)

Admission & discounts

Prices valid since January 1, 2026. Guided tour on request for up to 10 people: €15.

Accessibility

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

Kids & families

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

Getting there & parking

From Stralsund via the Rügenzubringer toward the A20 to the Miltzow exit, then to Reinkenhagen; on the B105 in Reinberg turn toward Miltzow; from Grimmen via the L30 to Miltzow/Reinkenhagen. From Rügen also via the Glewitz–Stahlbrode ferry and the "Erdölstraße". Signs point to the museum.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Available at the museum: chronicle of regional oil history, museum guide, brochures, and oil, rock and core samples.

Events & venue rental

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

Plan your visit