Museum der Stadt Parchim

About the museum

The Museum der Stadt Parchim traces the history of the town from the first Slavic settlements through its founding, its heyday, the plague and witch trials, to industrialization and the eventful 20th century. Since May 2023 it has been housed in the Kulturmühle on Fischerdamm, which it shares with the Junges Staatstheater, the tourist information office and the Restaurant Mahlwerk.

The building is a former grain mill of the Mencke company, which traded in grain from 1819. In 1877 the company built its own mill on Fischerdamm; after a major fire in 1896, the new building with its impressive brick façade was completed in 1897 and still shapes the townscape today. After nationalization in 1946, production continued as VEB Mühlenwerke Parchim; the machinery was sold to Serbia in 2010. The mill was extensively renovated for the museum; the foundation stone was laid in March 2021.

The newly designed permanent exhibition covers more than 900 square meters over two floors and combines historical objects with hands-on elements to see, smell, hear and touch. In addition, 300 square meters are available for changing exhibitions on history, art, culture, science and society.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition on about 1,000 years of town history across more than 900 m²
• Hands-on stations to see, smell, hear and touch
• Renovated grain mill with a brick façade from 1897
• Themes from the Slavic settlement through the plague and witch trials to the 20th century
• Free admission on Museum Sunday in April and October

Permanent exhibition

• Dauerausstellung zur Stadtgeschichte Parchims – Almost 1,000 years of town history from the beginnings to the present, with numerous hands-on stations to see, smell, hear and touch across two floors of the Kulturmühle.

Operated by

Stadt Parchim

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Museum Sunday on the first Sunday in April and October (free admission).

Tickets are available at the tourist information office on the first floor of the Kulturmühle, and online for the permanent exhibition. Free admission for members of the Deutscher Museumsbund (German Museums Association) and of ICOM (International Council of Museums). Separate prices may apply to special exhibitions and events.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• 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

The permanent exhibition is largely wheelchair-accessible; an elevator serves all floors. The lower exhibition room on the fourth floor is also reachable by elevator, and staff will help with the route. Accessible toilets are on the first floor and on the fifth floor. If the elevator is out of order, the tourist information office can help. The Moltke Room is not barrier-free and is currently not open to visitors.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

The exhibition includes many hands-on elements to touch, smell and listen to. The museum regularly offers museum education events.

Getting there & parking

From Hamburg take the A 24, exit Neustadt-Glewe; from Berlin, exit Suckow. The Kulturmühle is within walking distance of the train station; the entrance is through the door with the black canopy.

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant

The building houses the tourist information office and the Restaurant Mahlwerk (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays).

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit