Beautiful sewing machines from two centuries and rare insights into GDR corporate culture: Wittenberge welcomes its visitors with interesting permanent and special exhibitions on the history of the city.
"City of sewing machines": Wittenberge proudly wore this epithet all his human life. The era began with the laying of the foundation stone of the Singer factory in 1903, followed by a heyday for the small industrial town between Berlin and Hamburg. The largest free-standing clock tower on the European mainland, built in 1929, announces this. In almost 90 years more than seven million sewing machines have been built in Wittenberge. It was not until the turnaround that the traditional location came to an end. The city museum "Alte Burg" keeps the memory alive with an impressive sewing machine collection and a permanent exhibition.
If you are looking for an old castle, you will not find the town museum. The "Alte Burg" is a simple 17th century manor house on the edge of the old town. The city museum located here explains the development of Wittenberg from a small agricultural town to an industrial location. The lovingly designed permanent exhibition "Ein VEB war mehr als ein Produktionsbetrieb" (A VEB was more than just a production company) focuses on the period from 1945 to 1991. The show not only provides information about the economy and technology. It also shows the social and cultural life of the employees and their families. The everyday life of the workers was closely linked to the plant's facilities such as kindergarten, vocational school or sports and leisure groups.
A real sensation for lovers are the exhibited historical sewing machines. Supported by donors, the museum was able to acquire an important private Singer sewing machine collection in 2012. The Niggemann family has collected these beautiful witnesses over decades. In particular, the early makes such as the "No. 12 New Family" (1865), the "Medium 13K" (1889) or the "Singer 24" (1910) are works of art as well as objects of daily use with their elegant formal language and elaborate floral decorations. Single objects of the collection can be seen in the permanent exhibition of the city museum as well as in the clock tower.
Tips:
Guided tour through the grounds of the former sewing machine factory and through the clock tower with its sewing machine collection, from the beginning of May to the end of September.
Small souvenirs are sewn in the museum's show workshop and offered in the museum shop. On request, a textile product can also be sewn entirely according to your wishes.
On request, film screenings on the history of the city and the sewing machine factory for your personal occasion, from school trips to birthday parties.
"City of sewing machines": Wittenberge proudly wore this epithet all his human life. The era began with the laying of the foundation stone of the Singer factory in 1903, followed by a heyday for the small industrial town between Berlin and Hamburg. The largest free-standing clock tower on the European mainland, built in 1929, announces this. In almost 90 years more than seven million sewing machines have been built in Wittenberge. It was not until the turnaround that the traditional location came to an end. The city museum "Alte Burg" keeps the memory alive with an impressive sewing machine collection and a permanent exhibition.
If you are looking for an old castle, you will not find the town museum. The "Alte Burg" is a simple 17th century manor house on the edge of the old town. The city museum located here explains the development of Wittenberg from a small agricultural town to an industrial location. The lovingly designed permanent exhibition "Ein VEB war mehr als ein Produktionsbetrieb" (A VEB was more than just a production company) focuses on the period from 1945 to 1991. The show not only provides information about the economy and technology. It also shows the social and cultural life of the employees and their families. The everyday life of the workers was closely linked to the plant's facilities such as kindergarten, vocational school or sports and leisure groups.
A real sensation for lovers are the exhibited historical sewing machines. Supported by donors, the museum was able to acquire an important private Singer sewing machine collection in 2012. The Niggemann family has collected these beautiful witnesses over decades. In particular, the early makes such as the "No. 12 New Family" (1865), the "Medium 13K" (1889) or the "Singer 24" (1910) are works of art as well as objects of daily use with their elegant formal language and elaborate floral decorations. Single objects of the collection can be seen in the permanent exhibition of the city museum as well as in the clock tower.
Tips:
Guided tour through the grounds of the former sewing machine factory and through the clock tower with its sewing machine collection, from the beginning of May to the end of September.
Small souvenirs are sewn in the museum's show workshop and offered in the museum shop. On request, a textile product can also be sewn entirely according to your wishes.
On request, film screenings on the history of the city and the sewing machine factory for your personal occasion, from school trips to birthday parties.