Wilhelm-Fabry-Museum
Municipal museum in Hilden with temporary exhibitions on art and medicine, a tribute to the surgeon Wilhelm Fabry, and a historic grain distillery.
About the museum
The Museum der Stadt Hilden opened in 1989 and bears the name of the town's most famous son: Wilhelm Fabry (1560–1634), regarded as the most important German surgeon of his time and the founder of scientific surgery. After an apprenticeship as a barber-surgeon he continued his training in Düsseldorf and later worked in Switzerland, finally as city surgeon in Bern. His case observations and improved instruments shaped the medicine of his time.
At the heart of the museum is the former Bergische Dampfkornbranntwein-Brennerei Vogelsang (steam grain spirit distillery) of 1864, which was in operation until 1979 and can now be visited as an industrial monument. Its centerpiece is a steam engine built in Hilden in 1887, regarded as the oldest surviving horizontal single-cylinder engine in the Rhineland. The tour follows the path from the grain to the finished Korn (grain spirit).
Besides Fabry's writings and historic surgical instruments, the museum shows several temporary exhibitions each year at the intersection of art and medicine. Since 1998 there has been a children's art lending library (Kinderartothek) from which children and young people in Hilden can borrow artworks.
Highlights
- Historic Vogelsang grain distillery as an industrial monument
- Steam engine from 1887 produced in Hilden
- Life and work of the surgeon Wilhelm Fabry
- Temporary exhibitions on art and medicine
- Children's art lending library with more than 300 pictures
Permanent exhibitions
- Historische Kornbrennerei – The preserved Vogelsang steam grain distillery shows, with its steam engine, still, and barrel room, how grain became Korn and liqueur.
- Founded
- 1989
- Operated by
- Stadt Hilden
- Director
- Sandra Abend
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €1.50 |
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
Kinderartothek: children and young people from Hilden (ages 3–18) borrow artworks (Fridays 14:00–17:00). Open art time for children Fridays 14:00–16:00 without registration (€4) as well as painting activities.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Fritz-Gressard-Platz
Bus lines 783, 784, 785, and 03 to Fritz-Gressard-Platz; S-Bahn S1 to Hilden.
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
There is no parking on the museum grounds.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Group tours of the Historic Grain Distillery by appointment. Daycares and schools can book picture discussions with a painting activity or exhibition tours. |
