Ferropolis

About the museum

The site near Gräfenhainichen was once the Golpa-Nord lignite open-pit mine. After it was opened up from 1958, coal was mined there from 1964 to 1991; left behind were an exhausted pit and several excavators and spreaders weighing thousands of tons, which were actually supposed to be scrapped.

In the early 1990s, a workshop project at the Bauhaus Dessau gave rise to the idea of preserving the machines and reusing the industrial wasteland as a cultural venue. “Ferropolis – Die Stadt aus Eisen” (The City of Iron) was officially founded in December 1995 and later recognized as an Expo 2000 project. In 2000 the arena, for up to 25,000 people, was inaugurated with a concert; the pit was flooded to form the Gremminer See, so the complex now sits on a peninsula.

Five giant machines built between 1941 and 1984 form the backdrop of the site, including the spreader Medusa, whose platform can be reached by elevator. In addition to the daily museum operation with guided tours and an audio guide, major music festivals and concerts take place here. Since 2019 the Ferropolis Stiftung Industriekultur (foundation for industrial culture) has run the site as an open-air museum of industrial and technological history.

Highlights

• Five giant open-pit mining machines, including the bucket-wheel excavator “Big Wheel” (1,718 t) from 1984
• Oldest machine: the excavator “Mosquito” from 1941
• Spreader “Medusa” (36 m tall) with elevator to the platform
• Arena for up to 25,000 visitors between the excavators
• Location on a peninsula in the flooded mining lake
• Evening light show “Bagger im Licht” (Excavators in Light)

Founded

1995

Operated by

Ferropolis Stiftung Industriekultur gGmbH

Director

Thies Schröder (Geschäftsführung)

Admission & discounts

For festivals and concerts, the respective organizers' tickets apply. WelterbeCard for children (ages 5–14): 24 h €12.50, 3 days €25.50.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• 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

Most paths are paved; the platform of the spreader Medusa can be reached by elevator, the other machines are not accessible.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Playground / play area

Playground with small mechanical excavators for digging yourself and a climbing frame modeled on the mining machines. Children under 6 free.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café

Ferropolis beer garden (Thu–Sun and public holidays 11:00–17:00); bike parking with free e-bike charging station; dogs allowed on a leash.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Up to 25,000 guests.

Arena (14,000 m², up to 25,000 visitors) for concerts and festivals, plus the Orangerie (560 m²) and workshop hall; contact for event organizers: Janine Scharf.

Plan your visit