Museumsdorf Düppel – Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin
Germany
Clauertstraße 11
14163 Berlin
Germany
Member since: 2001
Focus area: Late Middle Ages
The open air museum “Museumsdorf Düppel” in Berlin is based on a medieval settlement discovered in 1939, when a boy called Horst Trzeciak found ceramic sherds on the site. It was only in 1967 that archaeologists from the Museum für Vor-und Frühgeschichte under Prof. Adriaan von Müller began excavating the site. The village was almost excavated to its full extent, which is why the idea was born to re-build the houses posthole by posthole. Today the reconstructed houses form a u-shaped village setup around a picturesque common. The museum is a hidden, green oasis within the territory of a modern capital city.
Founded in 1975 by the society "Förderkreis Museumsdorf Düppel e.V.", the museum is still renowned for its active volunteers, who bring the medieval village to life with a variety of craft activities and experiments through their longstanding commitment. At the weekends, visitors can experience how ceramic vessels are made, how the smith produces artefacts made from iron, how willow baskets are made as well as the production of pitch and tar. Over 100 articles have been published, containing activities and experiments carried out by the different groups. Domestic animals, especially old breeds, are also a special research focus in Düppel. The ‘Düppeler Weideschweine’ were back-bred at our museum, using medieval depictions to “reconstruct” their phenotype. The 16 hectares are also used to grow and experiment with different crops and forest types.
The Museumsdorf Düppel also functions as a living open-air laboratory for experimental archaeology. Here, every day and craft practices of the past are not only displayed, but actively researched and tested. Researchers, volunteers, and students use the historical setting to answer archaeological questions through practical experiments, for example, on iron smelting, pottery techniques, or historical materials.
Since 1995, the Museumsdorf Düppel belongs to the City Museum Berlin, which is responsible for the day to day running as well as strategic planning and development of the site. Special events around the year invite the visitors to experience festive occasions, themed workshops and living history groups. The products of the museum are sold in the Museum shop. Our kitchen offers simple but very tasty food. The Museumsdorf Düppel is open for visitors at weekends and bank holidays between March and November and during school holidays (Easter, Summer and Autumn) 6 days a week with Wednesday as closing day. School groups can visit the Museum all-year round from Monday to Friday on pre-booked guided tours or workshops.
Institutional Representatives
Julia Heeb
Exhibition and research manager