Museum zur Vorgeschichte des Films

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The Broich water tower was built for the railroad in 1904: its riveted steel tank held around 600,000 liters and supplied steam locomotives and the neighboring repair works. After the works closed, the site was long used as a car scrapyard, and the tower was at times put to other uses and fell increasingly into disrepair.

The turning point came with the Mülheim state garden show (MüGa) in 1992. At the suggestion of the filmmaker and collector Werner Nekes, the company Carl Zeiss Jena installed a walk-in camera obscura in the upper part of the water tank, with its optics positioned 25.5 meters above the ground. After the garden show, however, the tower was initially used as a restaurant and the camera stood idle.

To save the industrial monument, the city of Mülheim put the camera obscura back into operation and acquired the optical collection of the Wuppertal collector KH. W. Steckelings. In 2006 this became the Museum zur Vorgeschichte des Films (Museum of the Prehistory of Film). On three levels it displays more than 1,100 objects from about 1750 to 1930 – from shadow play and the magic lantern to the zoetrope, flip books, and early photographic processes – many of them as hands-on stations.

The highlight is the demonstration in the tank, where mirrors and lenses project an electricity-free 360-degree panorama of the surroundings onto a projection table. Today the museum is run by Mülheimer Stadtmarketing und Tourismus GmbH, which also presents changing photography exhibitions in the basement.

Highlights

• The world's largest walk-in camera obscura with a 360-degree panorama (optics by Carl Zeiss Jena)
• More than 1,100 exhibits on the prehistory of film and photography (approx. 1750–1930)
• Hand-painted magic lantern slides, zoetrope, phenakistiscope (Lebensrad), and peep show box
• Many hands-on stations on optics and perception
• Listed railroad water tower from 1904 in the MüGa park

Permanent exhibitions

• Museum zur Vorgeschichte des Films – Three levels lead from shadow play and the tricks of moving pictures to early photographic processes, with many stations to try out.
• Camera Obscura – In the tank of the water tower, Zeiss optics project a live panoramic image of the surroundings onto a table almost two meters across.

Founded

2006

Operated by

Mülheimer Stadtmarketing und Tourismus GmbH (MST)

Director

Jörg Schmitz

Admission & discounts

One free admission with the RUHR.TOPCARD or ArtCard. Admission includes the museum, the camera obscura demonstration, and the current temporary exhibition.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• 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

All levels accessible by elevator (level 3 only by elevator); the basement with the temporary exhibition and restroom is reached via a ramp at the parking lot. One accessible parking space right at the tower; the path from the Stadthalle parking lot is wheelchair-accessible.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Kids’ birthday parties

Hands-on stations in the permanent exhibition (for example Lebensrad, Wundertrommel). Bookable workshops for ages 6 and up (building a kaleidoscope, flip book, camera obscura and more) and a museum rally. Children's birthday parties for ages 7 to 14 with a rally and kaleidoscope building (2 hours).

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop

Museum café with cake, drinks and, in summer, ice cream, also accessible without a museum visit; refill station, e-bike charging station. Museum shop.

Events & venue rental

Photographers, groups, and schools can apply to use the temporary exhibition room for exhibitions (approx. two months).

Plan your visit