Hoesch-Museum

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The museum uses the listed gatehouse at the former main entrance of the Westfalenhütte. The Dortmund architects Hugo Steinbach and Paul Lutter designed the building, which was constructed from 1912 to 1914. Here the workforce's attendance was monitored; the works police, the payroll office and a dining hall were also located here. The building received its present appearance in the 1950s; it has been a listed monument since 1988.

At the end of the 1980s, Hoesch AG set up a museum and its archive in the gatehouse, but discontinued museum operations after the takeover by Krupp in 1992. Former Hoesch employees ("Hoeschianer"), the Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte and the Stiftung Westfälisches Wirtschaftsarchiv brought the house back: it reopened on October 23, 2005. It is run by the association Freunde des Hoesch-Museums, whose volunteers keep it operating; the City of Dortmund and thyssenkrupp Steel support the museum.

The permanent exhibition "Stahlzeit in Dortmund" spans the period from the beginnings of the iron and steel industry in 1840/41 to structural change. Tools, products, models and media stations explain the path from ore to steel, and a separate section is devoted to the working and social life of the workforce.

In 2022 the Hoesch-Stahlhaus L141, a prefabricated bungalow made of the composite material Platal from a company housing estate in Hombruch, was relocated next to the museum. Since May 2025 it has housed an exhibition on the history of industrial housing and building with steel.

Highlights

• Listed gatehouse of the Westfalenhütte from 1912–1914
• Permanent exhibition "Stahlzeit in Dortmund" from ore to steel
• Hoesch-Stahlhaus L141 – prefabricated steel house of the 1960s as an exhibition building
• Section on the life and work of the "Hoeschianer"
• Cutaway model of a Porsche Carrera made of refined steel

Permanent exhibitions

• Stahlzeit in Dortmund – Tour through more than 160 years of iron and steel history in Dortmund with a focus on Hoesch – from steel production and the world of the workforce to structural change.
• Hoesch-Stahlhaus L141 – The relocated steel bungalow made of Platal shows the history of company housing and of prefabricated and steel houses; the bathroom and kitchen are partly preserved in their original condition.

Founded

2005

Operated by

Freunde des Hoesch-Museums e. V. (unterstützt von Stadt Dortmund und thyssenkrupp Steel)

Director

Isolde Parussel (wissenschaftliche Leiterin)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission to the permanent exhibition, the Hoesch-Stahlhaus L141 and special exhibitions.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• 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, largely accessible and wheelchair-accessible; folding stools throughout the building.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Kids’ birthday parties

Public family tour every 1st Sunday of the month at 14:00. Children's birthday party "Little Steelworkers" for ages 6 to 11 (max. 12 children): 120 min. for €70 per group or with a scavenger hunt 180 min. for €90, each plus €2 for materials per child – with crafts and chocolate "slabs".

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

No café; snacks in the surrounding area, and in summer also the Hoeschpark-Büdchen kiosk. Jackets, backpacks, umbrellas and bags larger than A4 must be left at the coat check or in a locker; suitcases and trolleys cannot be stored. Food and drinks brought from outside are not allowed in the museum.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 25 guests.

Civil wedding ceremonies in a bright room with round-arched windows for up to 25 guests; appointments through the Dortmund registry office in consultation with the museum, drinks service on request.

Plan your visit