Rohrweberei Pritzerbe

About the museum

Weaving reed into mats has a long tradition in the Havel region. As early as the Middle Ages, reed was used here as filling for clay wattle; during the construction boom of the Gründerzeit, woven reed mats were needed in huge numbers as plaster backing in Berlin and Brandenburg. Demand collapsed only with the rise of concrete construction after 1950.

The Pritzerbe workshop is housed in a former shooting club building erected in 1929 on the edge of the village. In 1945 Georg Wellendorf took over the building and set up looms there for the production of reed mats; after his death, Gerhard Krüger continued the business from 1980. In 1998 the facility passed to the then still independent town of Pritzerbe; today it is an institution of the town of Havelsee.

Since the 1980s the reed weaving workshop has increasingly been developed into a monument to nature and craftsmanship. In October 2013 a small museum opened that explains the work steps from cutting the reed to the finished mat, and the reed bed habitat; an adventure walkway leads into the reeds of Lake Pritzerber. Today the reed comes mainly from the workshop's own fields of Chinese silvergrass (Miscanthus).

Privacy screening mats are once again being made by hand. A funded project is investigating how reed can be used as a renewable building material for sustainable construction; in addition, electrically assisted looms from a donation are being restored.

Highlights

• Germany's last active reed weaving workshop with a demonstration workshop
• Small museum with hands-on stations on reed, craftsmanship, and life along the shore
• Reed adventure walkway with a viewing platform on Lake Pritzerber
• Hand-woven reed mats to take home or order
• Monthly hands-on events on the first Sunday

Permanent exhibitions

• Museum der Rohrweberei – Small exhibition on the production steps of reed weaving and on reed as a habitat, with stations on animal sounds and spawning grounds along the shore.
• Schilferlebnissteg – Walkway in the middle of the reed belt of Lake Pritzerber with information boards on plants and animals and a small viewing platform.

Founded

2013

Operated by

Stadt Havelsee

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Themed events on the first Sunday of the month without admission (donations welcome)

Registration is requested for the Sunday events.

Accessibility

• Partially 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

Most areas are level; in one place there is a step with a ramp.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

Large lakeside property with a natural play area and adventure walkway. In the museum, listening and matching stations invite discovery; at the Sunday events, visitors craft, spin, or build, in some cases explicitly for children and adults.

Getting there & parking

The grounds are on the edge of Pritzerbe on Lake Pritzerber.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Sale of hand-woven reed mats, also made to measure. Fire pit and barbecue area on the grounds.

Events & venue rental

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

Plan your visit