Heimatmuseum Bützow

Description

In the town of Bützow in the district of Rostock, the Heimatmuseum Bützow documents local history and regional cultural development. Since the late 1990s the museum has been housed in the listed so‑called Krummen Haus; it has been officially located there since about 2000.

The museum’s roots go back to preparations for the town’s 700th anniversary. A regional local heritage association initiated the collection and systematic presentation of historical objects in 1927; two years later the museum opened in rented rooms in the former sexton’s house. The early holdings were based on farm implements, prehistoric and early medieval finds and a few purchased items. Scientific direction was in expert hands from the outset; after one year the town took over the rent and supported the development of the collection financially. In 1931 it joined the Association of Mecklenburg Local History Museums. In the 1930s the collections grew through numerous donations from local societies until the exhibition rooms became overcrowded.

After the Second World War the museum was reopened when a private individual made rooms in the house available, had them renovated and fitted with display cases; at that time a significant butterfly collection came into the museum’s care as a permanent loan. Ownership of that collection later changed hands several times; the museum ultimately purchased it, and it became an internationally noted holding with numerous display cabinets and a specialist library.

In 1966 the museum moved into the Gothic castle chapel and subsequently into other floors of the castle. Outstanding exhibits include the oldest bone harpoon in Mecklenburg, which points to reindeer hunters from around 14,000 years ago; a medieval dugout canoe from the Boitiner See (recovered in 1984); a Landtag uniform from the mid-19th century; a partially preserved Zepeliner folk costume; and a penny‑farthing from 1880. The library and a medical collection are kept in the depot for lack of space. After another move into the Krummen Haus the historical permanent exhibitions remained largely unchanged, not least because two municipal institutions also had to be accommodated there. Central chapters of the town and regional history still remain to be worked on, such as Bützow as an episcopal seat, the Stiftsland, the Huguenots, the “Gänsekrieg” of 1794 and the grand ducal Criminal-Collegium.