Feuerwehrmuseum Grethen
Association-run museum in the Grethen village community centre: six centuries of rural firefighting in Saxony, from the hand pump to 1980.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Grethen Fire Brigade Museum opened on 7 October 1981 as the “Informationskabinett Feuerwehr”. It grew out of Gerd Winkler's private collection.
Today the museum is run by the non-profit association Feuerwehrmuseum Grethen e.V. It is located in the village community centre and, together with the equipment house of the local fire brigade, forms a small fire brigade ensemble. The association aims to present its research and collection on the development of rural firefighting in Saxony, using the example of a volunteer fire brigade.
The tour begins in the lecture room with an introductory film of about ten minutes and an illustrated timeline on the history of firefighting in the village. A small seminar room is devoted to rescue and firefighting by fire brigades around the world. The tour then spans six centuries: from the time before fire brigades through organised firefighting, fire operations around 1900 and standardisation to the fire brigade under National Socialism and the rebuilding of fire protection after 1945.
The ground floor focuses on equipment: hand pumps, which shaped firefighting for centuries, the motorisation of rural fire brigades, the portable pump trailer as the typical appliance of small communities, the KS 8 towing pump and a village equipment house as it looked in 1980. Around 480 objects from the collection are published online on museum-digital.
Highlights
- Six centuries of rural firefighting in Saxony
- Hand pumps and portable pump trailers
- KS 8 towing pump as an example of rural motorisation
- Reconstructed village equipment house as of 1980
- Introductory film and illustrated timeline on local history
- Grown from a private collection (since 1981)
Permanent exhibition
- Entwicklung des Feuerlöschwesens auf dem sächsischen Land – Tour through six centuries of fire protection, using the example of a volunteer fire brigade, from the hand pump through motorisation to the village equipment house of 1980.
- Founded
- 1981
- Operated by
- Feuerwehrmuseum Grethen e.V.
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Children & teens | €1.50Children up to age 15 on the group tour. |
|---|---|
| Visitors with disabilities | freePeople with disabilities enter free. |
| Groups | €3 per personGroups of up to 25 people only with a guided tour: adults €3 per person, children up to age 15 €1.50. |
Individual visitors without a guided tour pay a voluntary donation.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- 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
According to the museum it is not barrier-free; there is a stairlift.
Kids & families
- Baby changing facilities: not available
Getting there & parking
Visitor address: Steinberger Straße 1 (next to the fire station building), 04668 Parthenstein, Grethen district.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
- Museum shop: not available
- Coat check: not available
- Lockers: not available
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Photography | Photography is permitted. |
| Good to know | Group bookings by e-mail to fwm-grethen@t-online.de or by mobile on 0170 9946522. Guided tours from March to November by appointment, also outside opening hours. The tour starts with an introductory film (about 10 minutes) in the lecture room for up to 30 people. |
