Salzmuseum Bad Sooden-Allendorf

About the museum

For centuries, salt boiling in Bad Sooden-Allendorf took place under strict supervision: the saltworks were fenced in, and the Söder Tor (Söder Gate) formed the only guarded access. After a fire in 1637, the gatehouse was rebuilt as a baroque structure at the beginning of the 18th century. Salt production in the town has been documented since the year 779 and ended in 1906.

The Salzmuseum grew out of an interest group within the local history association and opened in the Söder Tor in November 1979. Using original equipment, documents, photographs and models, it shows how brine became salt and how the “weiße Gold” (white gold) was transported along the old salt roads.

Special items include a transcript of the “Salzbibel” (Salt Bible) by Johannes Rhenanus, a handbook on salt production, and a facsimile of the “Ewige Location” from 1586, a lease agreement for the boiling pans with numerous seals. There is also a historical salt scale and a model of a boiling house. The museum also includes remnants of the saltworks in the town, among them the brine drilling tower, the salt office with salt table, the Pfennigstube and the brine bathhouse of the miners' guild from 1818.

Highlights

• Transcript of the “Salzbibel” by Johannes Rhenanus
• Facsimile of the “Ewige Location” from 1586
• Model of a boiling house and historical salt scale
• Brine drilling tower, salt office and Pfennigstube in the outdoor area
• Museum in the baroque Söder Tor, the former entrance to the saltworks

Permanent exhibition

• Sole und Salz – The exhibition shows nearly 1,000 years of salt production in the town, with tools, documents, models and photographs, as well as the transcript of the Salzbibel.

Founded

1979

Operated by

Verein für Heimatkunde Bad Sooden-Allendorf e.V.

Admission & discounts

With a spa card (Kurkarte), admission is free once. Guided tours by arrangement, price on request.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in the Söder Tor, Rosenstraße 1–3.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit