Deutsches Kochbuchmuseum

The Deutsches Kochbuchmuseum is a collection in Dortmund dedicated to cooking and kitchen history, preserving about 14,000 books, reference works, and guides on cooking and household management. The institution also displays old kitchen equipment, stoves, and handwritten recipes to show how cooking techniques and food traditions developed over time.

The museum was founded in 1988 and initially formed part of the Museum for Art and Cultural History before developing into an independent institution. It remained located in Westfalenpark for many years before moving to a new location in early 2011.

The museum shows how people in Germany have cooked and continue to cook, displayed through exhibits of old kitchen tools, stoves, and handwritten recipes from different regions. You can see from these objects which dishes mattered and how eating habits changed over time.

Visitors can view the collections by appointment on Wednesdays between 10 and 14, with extended hours until 17 on the first Wednesday of each month. It is recommended to call or write in advance to arrange a visit and confirm that the materials you wish to see are available.

Henriette Davidis, a noted German cookbook author, lived in Dortmund from 1856 to 1876 and is a central figure in the museum's history. Her work and recipes form an essential part of the collection and demonstrate how cooking was documented and shared in the 19th century.