Ruhlaer Uhrenmuseum, Clock museum in Ruhla, Germany
The Ruhlaer Uhrenmuseum is a clock museum housed in a brick building from 1929 that displays around 1,300 timepieces and 35 mechanical automata throughout its exhibition space. The collection includes pocket watches, wall clocks, chronometers, and automated moving mechanisms from various manufacturing periods.
The town of Ruhla started clock production in 1862 at a metal goods factory that initially made pocket watches. This heritage was preserved when the museum opened in 2002 to document the more than 100 years of local watch-making history.
The collection features timepieces from different manufacturing eras, including chess clocks and elaborate musical table clocks, reflecting the craftsmanship tradition that shaped Ruhla's identity. These objects tell the story of how clock-making was central to local life and work through the generations.
The museum is located at Bahnhofstrasse 27 in a former factory building and is easiest to reach on foot or by train from the town center. The shop on site sells modern watches from brands including Zeppelin and Iron Annie if you want to take something home.
The collection includes an atomic clock developed during the 1980s as part of a classified East German project that later found its way to Ruhla. This uncommon piece offers a rare glimpse into timekeeping technology during the Cold War era.
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