Stadtmuseum Zella-Mehlis

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The first local museums were set up in 1909/10 in the then still separate communities of Zella St. Blasii and Mehlis. After World War I, in 1925, the town established a museum in the new town hall focusing on arms manufacturing and proof testing; it moved into a former school building in 1934. At the end of World War II, the important arms collection was looted. A new local history museum was created from the remaining holdings and donations by 1963.

The current museum building was constructed from 1893 as the Ducal Saxon Proof House (Herzoglich-Sächsische Beschussanstalt), where more than 15 million handguns were officially tested for durability over almost 50 years. After the proof office was relocated in the late 1930s, metalworking companies used the complex; it was listed as a historic monument in 1986, and the town bought it in 1997.

After its conversion into a technology-oriented city museum, the first sections opened in 2002 and the entire building at the end of 2004. The exhibitions are devoted to the metalworking that shaped the town for centuries: mining and iron smelting, the gunsmithing trade and Zella-Mehlis arms companies, Heinrich Ehrhardt's automobile manufacturing, and the Mercedes office machine works, along with city history, traditional costumes, and herding. The museum is run by the town of Zella-Mehlis, which also operates the Technikmuseum Gesenkschmiede.

Highlights

• Listed proof house from 1893 with a re-created proof-testing cell
• Firearms by Zella-Mehlis manufacturers from the 16th to the 20th century, including Walther and Anschütz
• The only surviving chassis of an Ehrhardt automobile
• Mercedes typewriters and calculating machines, with a visible storage area of around 300 devices
• Gunsmith's workshop from the mid-19th century
• Museum rally for children with the mascot "Burni"

Permanent exhibitions

• Zella-Mehliser Waffen und Waffenfirmen – Handguns and long guns by local gunsmiths and companies from the 16th to the 20th century, complemented by a workshop and proof testing.
• Heinrich Ehrhardt und Automobilbau – The life and companies of the inventor Heinrich Ehrhardt, with the last surviving chassis of an Ehrhardt car.
• Mercedes-Büromaschinen – History of the office machine works from the typewriter to the computer, with a visible storage area.

Founded

2004

Operated by

Stadt Zella-Mehlis

Director

Lothar Schreier

Admission & discounts

Guided tour per group of 10 or more €12 (reduced €8), only by arrangement well in advance. Reduced admission with the Thüringer-Wald-Card, guest card and Vorteilscard Zella-Mehlis, Oberhof Card, and the school holiday ticket for students; partner of the Mehrfamilien-Karte Thüringen (multi-family card).

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

Stairlift for wheelchair users and people with limited mobility, operated by museum staff. The museum website carries the "Barrierefreiheit geprüft" (accessibility checked) label.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly: not available

Museum scavenger hunt with the mascot Burni and an accompanying booklet, with a prize at the end. Strollers are not allowed in the exhibition (leave them outside the building or in the foyer). Children under six only when accompanied by adults. Children's page with craft and coloring templates online.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Coat check
• Lockers

Bags, backpacks, and umbrellas must be left in the coat check or lockers.

Events & venue rental

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

Plan your visit