Collection

The Open-Air Museum Molfsee’s collection as a state museum for ethnology, incorporates several 10,000 items - of which selected exhibits are presented in the permanent exhibition in Molfsee and in special exhibitions. 

The extensive topical areas include agriculture, in particular agricultural devices, historic vocations including workshops and shop fittings as well as housecraft and living. A noteworthy number of horse-drawn carriages and vehicles are owned by the museum.

Additionally, it houses a series of interesting specific collections. These include the historic houses which have been broken down at various locations in Schleswig-Holstein and reconstructed at the Open-Air Museum in Molfsee. The historic funfair is a further speciality. We would like to draw attention to the police and fire protection collection.

The inventory consists of the stock from the Open-Air Museum Molfsee which was planned to be founded at the beginning of the 1950s and was opened in 1965 as well as the possessions of the Ethnological Museum Schleswig. The two establishments joined forces in 2013.

The collection from the former Ethnological Museum Schleswig is significant Europe-wide. The reason: in the years of the economic wonder, the last traditional stocks of devices for field, house and farm work were replaced with industrial age products. In order to document this radical change, the “Ethnological Topographic Survey Schleswig-Holstein” was instigated.  

Professor Dr. Arnold Lühning was the organiser of this large-scale project. The collection of farming devices and vehicles, artisan equipment and furniture collated by him is still one of the largest of its kind today.