Museum Arbeitswelt Steyr, Industrial heritage museum in Steyr, Austria.
The Museum Arbeitswelt occupies revitalised factory buildings from the mid-19th century in the Wehrgraben district of Steyr, on the bank of the Steyr River. It opened in 1987 with the Upper Austrian regional exhibition "Arbeit Mensch Maschine: Der Weg in die Industriegesellschaft" and examines changes in working and living conditions since industrialisation. In 2019 it received the Austrian Museum Prize.
The museum opened in 1987 in the Wehrgraben district, in factory buildings from the mid-19th century, for the Upper Austrian State Exhibition "Arbeit Mensch Maschine: Der Weg in die Industriegesellschaft". Its concept followed the industrial museums that emerged in England in the late 1970s. The success of that first show led to permanent operation. In 2002 a flood of the Steyr destroyed the entire exhibition area, which was rebuilt afterwards.
The exhibitions address contemporary social questions like migration and gender roles through interactive displays and workshops. Visitors engage directly with present-day topics that matter to people living in the region.
The location is at Wehrgrabengasse 7 in Steyr and is fully accessible with tactile systems and sign language videos for all visitors. Everything is easy to reach, with clear pathways and understandable signage helping you navigate the space.
The Memory Tunnel opened in autumn 2013 inside a former air-raid shelter, the Lambergstollen, beneath Lamberg Castle. Its exhibition, "Forced Labour and Concentration Camps in Steyr", covers 1938 to 1945, resistance in the city and how Steyr later dealt with its Nazi past. The Mauthausen Committee Steyr initiated the site; the Museum Arbeitswelt runs it.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,335 contributors worldwide.
