
Industriemuseum Freudenthaler Sensenhammer
Industrial museum in an originally preserved scythe factory on the Dhünn in Leverkusen-Schlebusch – with working machines and forging demonstrations.
Over het museum
A water-powered hammer mill has been documented at the site in Freudenthal on the Dhünn since 1778. At first steel blanks were produced here; from 1837 the Kuhlmann entrepreneurial family, under the firm H. P. Kuhlmann Söhne, made scythes and sickles. Over generations the operation was expanded and modernized, including a boiler house for a steam engine; at peak times up to 200,000 scythes left the works each year.
After the factory was shut down in 1987, the ensemble with its production rooms, machines, and tools remained largely preserved. The Förderverein Freudenthaler Sensenhammer e.V. (friends' association) set up a museum in it, which opened in 2005. The present condition essentially corresponds to the technical state of the 1960s.
The tour leads through the permanent exhibition on the second floor on the cultural history of the scythe and sickle and the people of the factory – from the entrepreneur and the Recker (forge hammerman) to the only female grinder – and then through the forging hall, hardening shop, straightening shop, grinding shop, and polishing shop. Many machines, from the old tail hammer to air hammers, are functional and run at regular demonstrations.
The museum is part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage and is also a cultural venue with concerts in the forging hall, readings and exhibitions in the gallery, and a branch of the Leverkusen registry office.
Hoogtepunten
- Originally preserved scythe factory with all production rooms
- Working forging hammers and air hammers
- Forging demonstrations from March to November
- Water power and transmissions
- Concert series in the historic forging hall
Vaste collectie
- Sensen und Sicheln / Sensenproduktion der Firma H. P. Kuhlmann Söhne – Cultural history of harvesting tools and the people of the factory, with interactive stations and a model of the Freudenthal.
- Historische Schmiede – Forging hall, drawing-out shop, hardening shop, grinding shop, and polishing shop with original, partly operational machines.
- Opgericht
- 2005
- Beheerder
- Förderverein Freudenthaler Sensenhammer e.V.
- Directie
- Jürgen Bandsom
Toegangsprijzen & kortingen
| Volwassenen | € 5 |
|---|---|
| Met korting | € 3Those entitled to concessions |
| Kinderen & jongeren | € 3gratis t/m 5 jaar · Children aged 6 to 16 pay €3. |
| Gezinnen | € 10Family ticket |
| EVL-Card: adults | € 3Children (6–16) with EVL-Card free |
Forging demonstrations with a tour are sold separately at the museum ticket desk or through Reservix.
Toegankelijkheid
Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd – vraag het rechtstreeks na bij het museum.
Kinderen & gezin
Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen
| Bezoekduur | ca. 45 min. |
|---|---|
| Toegang kinderen | gratis t/m 5 jaar |
| Gezinsticket | € 10 · Family ticket |
- Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
- Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
- Doe- en voelstations
Holiday programs, workshops, and an annual family day in summer; at the ticket desk there are often small scavenger hunts with prizes. At some events you can forge a keepsake for free without registration. The permanent exhibition has interactive stations.
Bereikbaarheid & parkeren
Met het openbaar vervoer
Von-Diergardt-Straße · 10 min. lopen
Bus lines 208, 222, and 260 to the stop Von-Diergardt-Straße, then about 10 minutes on foot.
Service & horeca
- Museumwinkel
Museum shop in the entrance area; gallery for exhibitions.
Evenementen & zaalverhuur
- Ruimtes te huur
- Bruiloften / trouwceremonies
The forging hall is a branch of the Leverkusen registry office (wedding dates at least once a year, information through the registry office).
Aanvragen & detailsJe bezoek plannen
| Rondleidingen | ja · duur ca. 60 min. |
|---|---|
| Aanbod voor scholen | ja |
| Goed om te weten | Allow at least 45 minutes for a tour; a flyer is available in the entrance area. Guided tours can be booked by email, also outside opening hours. Forging demonstrations (about 1 hour including tour, max. 20 people, with noise-protection headphones) take place about monthly from March to November. |





