Zentralwerkstatt Pfännerhall

About the museum

The Zentralwerkstatt was built between 1923 and 1926 as the central workshop of the Pfännerhall lignite works. It was constructed by the Halle firm Wayss & Freytag in a style with echoes of Art Deco; the symmetrical, T-shaped building with its bright halls is regarded as a remarkable testimony to industrial culture. A training workshop was added in 1937, and in 1952 administrative rooms and a tool issue were added.

When mining in the Geiseltal ended in 1992, the facilities for extracting and processing lignite were dismantled, and the central workshop was also due to be demolished. With the support of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), a lecturer at the Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule (art university) succeeded in having the machine hall protected as a technical monument. Between 1999 and 2001 it was renovated, with public and private funding, to its 1938 condition.

The building has belonged to the friends' association since 2000; the association had been founded in 1997. Today it is a visitor, information and event center on the Geiseltalsee. Exhibitions on the mining and fossil history of the region are shown, and the outdoor grounds feature industrial objects such as a briquette press, an electric locomotive and a replica of an elephant.

Highlights

• Exhibition "Bergbau und Innovation im Geiseltal"
• Fossils and replica of the Altelefant (old elephant) in "Fundort Pfännerhall"
• "Die Welt der Himmelsscheiben" with reference to the Nebra sky disk
• Abora project: reed boat and film about the expedition
• Outdoor area with briquette press and electric locomotive; Geiseltal Café with beer garden

Permanent exhibitions

• Bergbau und Innovation im Geiseltal – The roughly 300-year mining history of the Geiseltal, from which about 1.4 billion tons of lignite were extracted.
• Fundort Pfännerhall – Life-size reconstruction of the Altelefant discovered in 1985, replica of the Geiseltal Pferdchen (small horse), and further fossils from the Geiseltal.
• Die Welt der Himmelsscheiben – Exhibition on the Bronze Age Nebra sky disk and its discovery.

Operated by

Förderverein Zentralwerkstatt Pfännerhall e. V.

Admission & discounts

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

There is a family ticket, children's projects, holiday programs for after-school care centers, and events such as puppet theater and Christmas crafts.

Getting there & parking

From the A 38, take the Merseburg Süd exit and follow the L 178 toward Braunsbedra/Mücheln; about 400 meters before the Braunsbedra town entrance (ARAL gas station), turn right onto Grubenweg and follow the signs to the Zentralwerkstatt. The building is next to the power plant.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Geiseltal Café with about 50 seats indoors and a beer garden (coffee and cake, snacks, lunch for groups on advance order); souvenir shop in the exhibition.

Events & venue rental

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

About 900 square meters of indoor space and about 10,000 square meters of outdoor space; event rooms of 120 to 450 square meters or the whole building, with a large projection screen and catering by the café.

Plan your visit