Hamburg Museum of Work

The Hamburg Museum of Work is a museum in Hamburg-Barmbek. Its major theme is changes in work and living during the last 150 years. It examines and displays the social cultural and economic effects of industrialisation. The museum is an anchor point on the European Route of Industrial Heritage. The museum was planned in the 1970s, and was obtained in 1980. In 1982 it took over the buildings of the former New-York Hamburger Gummi-Waaren Compagnie in Barmbek, these buildings dated from 1871. It put to together a provisional display and with a permanent workshop it was able to develop the themes and grow the collection. Construction started in 1992, and the first building, the boiler-house was inaugurated in 1994. Further conversions followed and permanent exhibition hall opened on 5 January 1997. The following year, 1 January 2008, the management of the museum passed to the Museen Hamburg. The current director is Rita Müller.