1. Deutsches Bratwurstmuseum

The focus of the First German Bratwurst Museum in Mühlhausen/Thuringia is the cultural and technological history of the bratwurst, with particular emphasis on the Thuringian Rostbratwurst. The museum originally opened in 2006 in Holzhausen near Arnstadt, closed its operations there in April 2020 and resumed operations at a new location in Mühlhausen in August 2023.

 

The association Verein Freunde der Thüringer Bratwurst e. V. has supported the project in a non-material capacity since its founding. The first exhibition in Holzhausen presented knowledge about pig breeds, meat and sausage processing, recipes and historical equipment for slaughtering and production. A significant exhibit was a written document dated 20 January 1404, which records among other things "1 gr vor darme czu brotwurstin" and thus provides an early mention of the bratwurst.

 

In 2008 the museum expanded its presentation with a reconstruction of a monastic kitchen and a provostry in the style of the early 15th century, as well as a miniature depiction of a Thuringian fair covering 72 m², complete with a fairground, half-timbered houses and the symbolic figure of the bratwurst eater; the original design of these figures is housed in the German Toy Museum in Sonneberg. In November 2008 the museum received the Thuringian Marketing Prize for Tourism (endowed with €8,000).

 

Due to high visitor numbers in Holzhausen and resulting infrastructural bottlenecks, a relocation became necessary. After abandoned plans for a site with a troubled past, a 3.7-hectare area at the Mühlhäuser Stadtwald was chosen as the new location; the foundation stone was laid on 20 January 2020. Delays caused by damp ground conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic had previously led to a temporary presence in the town centre. The reopening in Mühlhausen took place on 16 August 2023.

 

The museum was repeatedly featured in national media, among others in an ARD programme in 2006 and in contributions by MDR in 2007.

Access with ramp

Yes