Historisches Technikzentrum der Stadtwerke Halle

About the museum

The Historisches Technikzentrum of the Stadtwerke Halle is located in a former electrical substation on Lutherplatz. The roughly 40-meter-long, three-story brick building was constructed in 1928 to plans by the city's chief building officer, Wilhelm Jost, modernized in 1972, and decommissioned in 2010. The building is a listed historic monument, and parts of the original switchgear have been preserved.

Since 2012 the Stadtwerke has presented a historical exhibition here on energy and water supply, wastewater, waste management, and public transport in Halle. One focus is the streetcar: in 1891 Halle became the first city in continental Europe to operate an electric streetcar network with overhead lines.

The center serves primarily as an extracurricular learning venue. The exhibition has been supplemented by a water workshop with experiment stations, since 2018 by the interactive SWH-Entdeckerstation (discovery station) on the Stadtwerke's business areas, and by a measurement lab with rooms on length, weight, heat, motion, light, and pressure. The center opens to the public on individual family days and on Heritage Open Day (Tag des offenen Denkmals).

Highlights

• Listed substation from 1928 with original switchgear
• History of continental Europe's first electric streetcar (1891)
• Water workshop with ten experiment stations
• Hands-on SWH-Entdeckerstation and measurement lab

Permanent exhibitions

• Historische Ausstellung der Stadtwerke – A look back at energy and water supply, waste disposal, and public transport in Halle, with historic equipment and original installations from the substation.
• Wasserwerkstatt, SWH-Entdeckerstation und Messlabor – Interactive stations for experimenting with water, energy, waste, and mobility, as well as physical units of measurement.

Founded

2012

Operated by

Stadtwerke Halle GmbH

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission on family days is free, as are school visits.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

Twelve hands-on stations on energy, water, waste, and mobility (including an energy bicycle and a streetcar simulator). Open to the public only on individual family days with experiments, painting and craft tables, and giant soap bubbles in the courtyard; school programs depending on the station from grade 3 or 6.

Getting there & parking

Entrance via Turmstraße at Lutherplatz (former substation).

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit