Manuelskotten

About the museum

The Manuelskotten is the last grinding workshop in Wuppertal still operated by water power. A first building was erected in 1755 as the "middle Kotten" among several water-powered facilities on the Kaltenbach. In 1867 Emanuel Morsbach took over the operation; to avoid confusion with another Kotten, it was called "Emanuelskotten" after his first name from 1898, which became Manuelskotten in common usage. After a fire in 1901, the building was rebuilt larger.

What is special is the variety of drive systems under one roof: besides the 5.60-meter-diameter overshot water wheel, a steam engine was added in 1902, a 30-horsepower diesel engine in 1934, and an electric motor in 1960, complemented by a centrifugal governor and a generator for electric light. For decades, wet and dry grinders sharpened tools here for Cronenberg industry, at times mainly hedge shears.

In 1984 the facility, with its mill pond and ditches, was placed under monument protection. In 1990 the Förderverein (friends' association) was founded, which acquired the Kotten from the last owners with the help of the NRW-Stiftung; in 1992 it passed to the city of Wuppertal and now belongs to the Museum Industriekultur. Commercial grinding is still done on the ground floor today. Since fall 2017, an exhibition on the upper floor has presented the history of wet grinding with exhibits from the association's collection.

Highlights

• Overshot water wheel 5.60 m in diameter, the last one in operation in Wuppertal
• Five types of drive: water wheel, steam engine, diesel engine, generator, and electric motor
• Grinding workshop with commercial grinding operations
• Exhibition on wet grinding with more than 500 exhibits in drawers
• Arrive on the historic streetcar of the Bergische Museumsbahnen

Permanent exhibitions

• Nassschleiferei im Manuelskotten – On the upper floor, texts, photos, archival documents, and about 500 objects tell of the grinders' working lives and of Cronenberg as a tool-making location; much of it lies in drawers to be discovered.
• Antriebe und Schleiferwerkstatt – Water wheel, transmission, steam engine, diesel engine, and electric motor in their original context; commercial grinding still takes place in the workshop today.

Operated by

Förderverein Manuelskotten e. V. (Gebäude: Stadt Wuppertal, Standort des Museums Industriekultur Wuppertal)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission, donations welcome. School classes pay nothing for tours; building small wooden water wheels as a hands-on activity for a €50 materials fee. At events, usually only cash payment is possible.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• 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

Parts of the outdoor area and the exhibition rooms on the upper floor are not wheelchair-accessible.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

School classes can build small wooden water wheels and try them out directly in the stream. The Förderverein occasionally offers children's activities, such as stick carving with campfire bread baking or a summer holiday program.

Getting there & parking

By car via a narrow road through the Kaltenbach valley; the access via Friedrichshammer is closed, so approach via the Wahlert. The museum railway is a good option as park and ride.

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