Industriemuseum Lauf, Industrial heritage museum in Lauf an der Pegnitz, Germany
The Industriemuseum Lauf is a museum complex in historic buildings showcasing machinery, workshops, and living quarters from the late 1800s through 1970. The site includes several protected structures with water-powered facilities and recreated production areas that show how goods were made and how workers lived.
Some buildings date back to the 16th century but were heavily developed during 1800s industrialization when water-powered production expanded. The museum opened in 1982 to preserve this industrial heritage and later expanded to show the full story of work and life during this transformative period.
The preserved workshops show how craft and small-scale industrial work shaped daily life and community. Walking through, you see a barber shop, shoemaker, umbrella maker, and other trades that reveal how people earned their living before mass production changed everything.
You can explore the site at your own pace using multimedia guides on handheld devices to learn about each area. Interactive stations are set up throughout, especially for children, to give hands-on experience with how these processes and trades worked.
Working water wheels and hammer forges on the grounds demonstrate how power was actually generated before electricity became common. Rather than just display pieces, these installations show the real mechanical processes that kept people employed in this region for centuries.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
