Heimatstube Aldekerk

Small village museum for customs and crafts in a restored 17th-century half-timbered house in the Kerken district of Aldekerk.

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Limited operations (expected until 2026-10-31). The association's lease for the house ends on October 31, 2026, because the owners want to sell the building; what happens afterwards is open. Visits are possible by arrangement.

About the museum

The house at Hochstraße 70 was probably built in the second half of the 17th century as a two-story half-timbered building. Over the more than 300 years that followed it was altered several times; in the 19th century, for example, the ground floor received a solid brick cladding. Preserved are artistic brick infill panels and a “Bussem,” a double hearth.

In 1993 Peter Niederholz bought the building. Together with monument conservators, planners and craftsmen, he had it restored as faithfully as possible by 1997; the NRW-Stiftung (NRW Foundation) and the Landschaftsverband Rheinland (Rhineland regional association) supported the work financially. In return, the Heimat- und Verkehrsverein für Aldekerk und Umgebung (local history and traffic association for Aldekerk and surroundings) received a long-term right of use. The Heimatstube was opened with a large village festival on August 16 and 17, 1997.

On the upper floor, the association founded in 1964 set up a small museum for customs and crafts. The large parlor on the ground floor is still used today for exhibitions, concerts, lectures, receptions and civil wedding ceremonies. The owners' heirs wish to sell the house; the association's lease runs until October 31, 2026, and further use is open.

Highlights

Restored 17th-century half-timbered house
Bussem: historic double hearth
Small village museum on customs and crafts on the upper floor
Large parlor for exhibitions, concerts and weddings