In the LVR Open-Air Museum in Kommern, history comes alive: Chickens roam between the houses and peck at the ground, cattle graze peacefully in the meadow, and fresh bread aromas waft from the bakery. Visitors can wander through five different building groups and their structures. The time travel through the Rhineland begins at the end of the 15th century and ends in the 20th century. Exhibitions and various festivals and markets, such as the fair "Anno Dazumal," round off the museum experience.
From Winkelhof to Quelle Prefabricated House: Experience History Up Close at the LVR Open-Air Museum Kommern
Chickens roam freely between the houses, cows graze in the meadows, the smell of bread wafts through the air - it couldn't be more idyllic. In the LVR Open-Air Museum Kommern, visitors stroll through villages that once stood in the Rhineland. In the construction groups Eifel, Lower Rhine, Bergisches Land, Westerwald, and Market Square Rhineland, historical buildings from the former Prussian Rhine Province can be found. Farms, windmills, workshops, but also communal buildings such as bakeries and schools, dance halls, and chapels can be explored.
How did people live in these villages in past centuries? How did they earn their livelihood? Visitors embark on a journey through time and watch craftsmen and farmers at work. The journey begins at the end of the 15th century and leads to more recent times with Quelle Prefabricated House and a milk bar. The architectural monuments are embedded in a museum landscape with fields, farm gardens, and orchards.
About Houses and Inhabitants
The house from Kalsbach in the Oberberg region was built in 1667 in storey construction and served as a residence, barn, and utility building for a moderately wealthy farming family. The windmill from Cantrup dates back to 1780 and for many decades, grain was milled here. The community house from Löhndorf in the Westerwald served the local residents as a bakery and school.
Visitors experience with all their senses how people lived and worked in the Rhineland in the past. Craftsmen provide insights into their work: a blacksmith, a mouse trap merchant, a wheelwright, a weaver, or a beekeeper show how they worked in earlier times.
Animals in the Museum
Small and large visitors can leisurely explore the houses where people lived. And they encounter all sorts of creatures on the grounds, as the museum aims not only to show how people lived but also what they grew in the fields and gardens and what animals belonged to the farm.
Exploring the 20th Century
In Kommern, history continues to be written: The Market Square Rhineland is dedicated to the second half of the 20th century. For some visitors, memories from childhood and youth are awakened, "Oh yes, I remember that from the past." The buildings are not replicas; they were dismantled from their original locations and rebuilt in the museum. For example, the Quelle Prefabricated House: In the 1960s, it became possible to order houses from a mail-order catalog. In Kommern, a house from 1965 is showcased, fulfilling a great dream for the couple Uhlmann in the Puhlheim district of Stommelerbusch. Many other buildings in the Market Square Rhineland evoke memories, and children see how their parents and grandparents lived when they were small.
Exhibitions and Markets
In addition to the construction groups with their buildings and inhabitants, the permanent exhibition "WirRheinländer" invites visitors to take a stroll through the history of the Rhineland and the living conditions of its people from the French occupation in 1794 to the early years of the economic miracle around 1955. There are also changing special exhibitions. Many events – spread throughout the year – round off the offerings in the open-air museum: From workshops for children and adults to multi-day festivals and markets. The Market of Times Past takes place annually around Easter, there are Time Blends that transport visitors back to exactly 50 years ago, a harvest festival is celebrated in September, and during Advent, "Advent for All Senses" prepares for the Christmas season.
This host has been certified as a "Sustainable Travel Destination Partner".
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