Papenburger Zeitspeicher

Papenburger Zeitspeicher is a maritime museum spanning three floors with displays tracing shipbuilding techniques and the region's industrial growth. The exhibition shows how Papenburg transformed from marshy landscape into a major shipyard center.

Founded in 2022 as Maritime Erlebniswelt Papenburg, the museum occupies the former Meyer Werft site, one of Germany's largest shipbuilding companies. This facility shaped the region's economy and character for more than two centuries.

The name refers to storing memories of the region's shipbuilding tradition, making the building itself a vessel for collective history. Visitors encounter how the shipyard and its workers shaped local identity across generations.

The museum divides its operating hours into morning and afternoon sessions, allowing visitors to plan flexibly. Group visits of 15 or more receive reduced admission rates.

A striking exhibit covers the Graf Götzen, a ship built locally and shipped to Africa in 5,000 wooden crates for use in the classic film 'The African Queen'. Few visitors expect to find this unexpected connection between a remote German shipyard and Hollywood cinema.

Location: Papenburg

GPS coordinates: 53.08690,7.38388

Latest update: December 14, 2025 09:43