Industriemuseum!

Really interesting post a couple days ago on The Uncataloged Museum about industrial heritage development in Europe: From Cotton to Culture: Changing the Face and Future of European Cities.

In said post I learned there's this amazing thing called the European Route of Industrial Heritage, a partnership among EU member states, industrial heritage museums, and academic institutions. The idea is to promote tourism that links diverse industrial sites by theme or region. Do the mining tour of Europe! Backpacks, anyone?

Seriously, I think this is a pretty exciting way to push industrial history toward greater relevance for visitors -- the ERIH situates what can often feel like very local history in an interconnected network of regional and international sites. If visitors (most of whom are probably nerds, obviously unlike myself...) are accessing these resources, there's potential here for engaging people with the interrelated historical experiences of work, and a deeper understanding of how the industrial past shapes the present.

Also, check out the photo gallery. These museums look like they run the gamut from traditional interpretive displays to huge, raw, tour-able factory sites.


Kinder im Museum. Also ein interessanter Museumsbesuch für "groß und klein"und nicht nur für Fachleute! Industriemuseum Brandenburg an der Havel.

The museum looks like it's basically a huge, partially operable steel mill. I love that these kids get to just hang out with rusty gears and apparently still-fiery blast furnaces. Hardhats!



Industriemuseum Brandenburg and der Havel.