Flensburger Schifffahrtsmuseum

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The museum is housed in the Zollpackhaus (customs warehouse) on the Schiffbrücke quay. The building was constructed in 1842/43 to plans by the Danish building inspector Meyer as a store for goods under customs seal, above all rum, and served this purpose for a good 130 years until 1972.

In 1979 the state of Schleswig-Holstein handed the listed building over to the city of Flensburg, which set up a maritime museum in it. After several years of restoration and conversion to reduce barriers, the museum opened in 1984 for the city's 700th anniversary. Since 1993 a dedicated section in the cellar has been devoted to the history of Flensburg's rum trade.

After a two-year renovation, the museum reopened in 2012 with a new concept and more exhibition space; the rum cellar was completely redesigned in 2014. Today the museum is part of the Städtische Museen Flensburg (Flensburg Municipal Museums) and, together with the museum harbor, the museum shipyard and the saloon steamer Alexandra, forms the heart of the Historic Harbor.

The exhibitions range from the maritime trade of the merchants' courtyards to shipyard history, ship technology and rigging, all the way to the duty-free "butter trips" on the Flensburg Fjord. A key focus is Flensburg's entanglement with the sugar trade and slavery in the Danish Caribbean.

Highlights

• Rum cellar on the history of Flensburg's rum trade
• Exhibition "Zucker. Rum. Versklavung." (Sugar. Rum. Enslavement.) on the city's colonial legacy
• Shipyard history from full-rigged ships to RoRo ferries
• Technology Sunday on the first Sunday of every month
• Listed 1842/43 Zollpackhaus customs warehouse on the Historic Harbor

Permanent exhibitions

• Zucker. Rum. Versklavung. Flensburgs koloniales Erbe – Shows how Flensburg's trade in sugar and rum from the Danish Caribbean was linked to the plantation economy and slavery.
• Rum-Keller – In the vaulted cellar of the Zollpackhaus, the focus is on the production, trade and history of rum as Flensburg's trademark.
• Werft – Vom Vollschiff zur RoRo-Fähre – Flensburg's shipbuilding tradition, from wooden sailing ships to the modern ferries built at today's shipyard.

Founded

1984

Operated by

Stadt Flensburg (Städtische Museen Flensburg)

Director

Susanne Grigull

Admission & discounts

Free admission also for holders of the Sozialpass (social benefits card). No annual pass; members of the friends' association get in free. Tickets also available in the online shop of the Städtische Museen.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

All exhibition rooms except the rum cellar are step-free; elevator in the rear building. Loan wheelchair and seating throughout the building. Accessible parking spaces beside the gateway. Tactile program "Geschichte zum Anfassen" (hands-on history) for blind and visually impaired visitors, programs in Easy Language. Assistance dogs allowed.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

Hands-on stations "Anfassen erlaubt!" (Touching Allowed!) (knots, pulleys) from age 6, a dress-up corner with photo backdrop, a children's audio guide and the "Logbuch" (logbook) activity booklet from age 8, as well as children's tours from age 5. Children under 14 only when accompanied.

Getting there & parking

By car via the A7, exit toward Flensburg Hafen.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

Museum café (also accessible without a museum visit, known for its rum balls) and museum shop. Bags and backpacks larger than A4 must be put in lockers. Free Wi-Fi. Dogs only in the courtyard and in the café.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 150 guests.

Foyer outside opening hours (up to 150 people in rows, 70 at tables, from €500) with projector, sound system and stage; café (up to 25 people) and museum education room (up to 25 people, from €50) during opening hours.

Plan your visit