Historical ships for the public
It’s the job of the Oevelgönne museum port’s staff to to acquire, restore and exhibit decommissioned maritime vehicles that were typical of professional seafaring in the northern German coastal regions. To a large extent, the ships were built between 1880 and 1980. It is the idea of conservation as a whole, as well as traditional seafaring in particular that people should learn from a visit of the Oevelgönne museum port.
Over the past decades, the port has become a mainstay in Hamburg’s cultural landscape. In 2017, the initiative turned 40, making it the single-oldest museum port in Germany and is widely accepted as a forerunner in the exhibition of historic marine vessels.
Oldest fire ship in the world
In the museum port, the world’s oldest fully-operable fire ship can be found side by side with steam-driven tugboats, cutters, floating cranes, icebreakers and police vessels. All ships can be visited during opening hours, tours of the interior must be booked in advance. The museum’s café is located on an abandoned ferryboat. The close-by Elbe beach is another great reason why the trip to Oevelgönne is worthwhile.
A member-based initiative
Museumshafen Oevelgönne is not a state-owned museum but rather a private non-profit organisation that is funded by membership fees and donations. Volunteers contribute their time and craftsmanship to the cause in order to keep the impressive fleet afloat.
Getting there:
112 bus to Neumühlen / Oevelgönne
Address:
Neumühlen 1
(Ponton Neumühlen)
22763 Hamburg
