Wassermuseum Borkum

About the museum

The Borkum water tower, known in the island dialect as "Watertoorn", is a neo-Romanesque brick building on a dune and has stood since 1900. In the 1970s it lost its role in the water supply and increasingly fell into disrepair. In 2007 committed residents of Borkum founded the association Watertoorn Börkum e.V. to preserve the tower as a monument of national importance and to set up a museum.

In 2010 the association leased the building from the municipal business operations. The first construction phase, restoration of the masonry, the historic cast-iron windows and the newly made tower lantern, was completed in 2014. In a second phase, galleries and stairs were installed inside; part of the massive water tank in the top of the tower remains visible. The accessible Waterhuus was built as the entrance building. The Wassermuseum opened to visitors on April 1, 2023.

The museum is devoted to drinking water as the most important foodstuff. It conveys knowledge about the resource water, its endangerment, and the link between climate change and water scarcity. The tower itself is the authentic main exhibit; in the water workshop in the Waterhuus, properties of water can be experienced experimentally.

Highlights

• Listed water tower from 1900 as the main exhibit
• Drinking water and water supply on the island
• Water workshop for experiments
• Guided tours on Wednesdays
• Accessible Waterhuus entrance building with museum shop

Permanent exhibitions

• Wassermuseum im Wasserturm – The tower itself is the main exhibit: across several levels, the exhibition covers drinking water, water supply on Borkum and the threats to this resource.
• Wasserwerkstatt – In the Waterhuus, properties of water such as surface tension, states of matter and the water cycle can be explored experimentally.

Founded

2023

Operated by

Watertoorn Börkum e.V.

Admission & discounts

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

The Waterhuus entrance building with ticket desk, shop, toilets and seminar rooms is accessible. The tower cannot be made barrier-free; guests with physical impairments can experience the tower's contents via monitors and audio and video technology from the Waterhuus. The virtual tour takes place in the accessible seminar room.

Kids & families

Only partly suitable for kids

• Hands-on stations
• Playground / play area: not available

Water properties can be tested in the water workshop. The tours quickly become uninteresting for smaller children; there is neither a play corner nor childcare supervision.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop in the Waterhuus.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit