Töpfereimuseum Langerwehe

About the museum

At the end of the 1930s, the municipality of Langerwehe acquired the old parsonage on the Rymelsberg, which houses the Pastorat (parish house) of the Old Church. There, the collection of Langerwehe vessels assembled by deputy headmaster Josef Schwarz found a permanent home. In the 1950s the municipality rebuilt the parts of the building destroyed in the war: a potter’s workshop was set up where the stables had been and a lecture hall where the barn had stood. At the end of the 1960s a flat-roofed building with administrative, storage and workshop rooms was added.

The museum was run by full-time staff for decades, most recently until 2017 by Kirsten Maaß, who made it known far beyond the region with special exhibitions. Since summer 2020, officially from January 1, 2021, the museum association has run the house with volunteers; it also organizes the Eifelmarkt and the pottery market "Ton & Arts".

The permanent exhibition runs through eight rooms and shows the development from craft to industrial production as well as the extraction and occurrence of clay. Because the parsonage is being renovated and the permanent exhibition is being redesigned, it is currently only partly accessible. An interim exhibition presents the most important aspects of pottery history, and the program continues.

Highlights

• Over 1,000 years of pottery history in Langerwehe
• Guided tours with demonstrations at the potter’s wheel
• Potter’s workshop and creative courses for all ages
• Family Sundays and children’s birthday parties
• Café with homemade cake on Sundays and public holidays

Permanent exhibition

• Interimsausstellung zur Töpfergeschichte Langerwehes – While the permanent exhibition is being redesigned, a compact exhibition gives an overview of the village’s thousand-year pottery tradition.

Operated by

Museumsverein für das Töpfereimuseum Langerwehe e. V.

Admission & discounts

Guided tour of the Old Church by donation. Coffee with refills in the café €3; "Wehter Platz mit Seem" €5 per person.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• 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

The building is not barrier-free.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Kids’ birthday parties

Family Sundays usually take place on the first Sunday of the month from 14:00 to 17:00 (registration required, minimum 8 participants; children under 8 only with a paying adult). There are also holiday programs, pottery courses and children’s birthday parties with pottery, printing techniques or the potter’s wheel.

Getting there & parking

Langerwehe lies between Düren and Eschweiler on the A 4: from Aachen, take the Eschweiler-Ost exit (7 km, signposted "Weisweiler/Langerwehe"); from Düren/Cologne, take the Langerwehe exit. In the village, the access road to the museum is signposted.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Café with coffee, cappuccino, espresso and cold drinks; homemade cake on Sundays and public holidays. Museum shop with regional specialties (apple and beet syrup, Apfel- und Rübenkraut), booklets and craft kits.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

The café and other rooms can be rented for celebrations, anniversaries, conferences and weddings; dates and terms on request.

Plan your visit