Fehnmuseum Eiland

About the museum

The Fehnmuseum lies on the "Eiland" (island) in West Großefehn, an artificially raised mound that in winter rose like an island out of the flooded lowland. From 1776 onward, alongside the timber trade, a sawmill and bark mill, a shipyard and subsistence farming were established here. Very close by, canal construction began in 1633 from the Fehntjer Tief, creating the oldest East Frisian fen settlement, later Großefehn. It was an enterprise of Emden merchants for peat extraction.

The museum complex comprises the main building, restored in 1991/92, a sawmill with a sash saw (Gattersäge) and forge, a carriage house, a workers' cottage from 1994 and a boat harbor. In 2004 the area for the tea room was enlarged and a separate toilet building was constructed. Initially the municipality ran the site itself; from 1997 to 2008 the complex was leased out. Since then, operations have been secured jointly with the volunteer association Fehnmuseum Eiland.

The exhibition tells how the fens developed from raised bog to cultural landscape and includes, among other things, town models. In the attic there is a small exhibition cinema and a fen library, which was set up in cooperation with the East Frisian Landschaftsbibliothek (regional library) in Aurich.

Highlights

• Development of the Großefehn fen settlement from raised bog to farmland
• Historic sash saw in the sawmill by the small boat harbor
• Historic forge on the museum grounds
• Town models and exhibition cinema in the attic
• Fen library as a branch of the Aurich regional library
• Teestube Eiland tea room in the main building

Permanent exhibitions

• Fehngeschichte – vom Hochmoor zur Kulturlandschaft – The museum shows how Emden merchants opened up the raised bog from 1633 onward and turned a peat-cutters' settlement into a shipping village. Town models and exhibits make this vivid.
• Sägewerk mit Gattersäge und Schmiede – At the small harbor basin, the restored sash saw and the forge show how wood was processed and metal was forged.

Operated by

Fehnmuseum Eiland e. V.

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission for individual visitors without a tour is free; the museum association welcomes donations. Group tours by telephone arrangement against a fee.

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 is located on State Road L 14 in West Großefehn.

Amenities & dining

• Café

Teestube Eiland in the main building is an independent business with homemade cake (table reservations at 04945 1333).

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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