Fire department museum Norderstedt
In Norderstedt, all the signs point to red. At least in Friedrichsgaber Weg 290. It houses the fire brigade museum, the most visited of its kind in Germany, and the Museum Director Dr Hajo Brandenburg has some ideas as to why.
The 54-year-old historian has been responsible for all the events in the 2,300 square metre exhibition space for 16 years. And this is not only because of the fire engines or the work of firefighters, but also the cultural history of fire. "In addition, we have a large fire brigade playground in the outdoor area and the popular children's play corner in the Plambeck Hall. In addition, KIM's, the bar in the museum, is also a popular venue for birthday parties and events," Brandenburg reports. And that is only part of what the museum has to offer. Special exhibitions: In 2021, for example, an exhibition of radio-controlled models was held, and Brandenburg made space in a vehicle hall specifically for the event to enable helicopters and drones to fly, and the submarines remote-controlled by their owners could be immersed in the water tank. Anyone who missed the show will have to wait for the next one - and it will definitely happen - if the people of Norderstedt know their Museum Director!
Regardless of whether there is a special exhibition, it’s always worth taking a tour of the museum's highlights. Just as impressive as the Magirus rotary engine used by the Itzehoe fire brigade from 1927 or the steam fire engine "Alte Liese" from the Altona fire brigade from 1869 is the baroque manual fire engine from Fulda dating back to 1754. For Hajo Brandenburg, however, it is neither a spectacular vehicle nor an ancient machine that touches him most among the visits, but a tiny, inconspicuous item. "In the Lüdemann room, the room where we have presented the cultural history of fire from the Stone Age to the present day, there is a matchbox from the World Trade Center, with the words “The Club” on it. Matches from a club that vanished from the face of the earth in such a dramatic event in 2001. This is a special exhibit with a special story for me.” People who are not so enthusiastic about fire engines have interesting alternatives at the museum - for example, the “fire garden”. Plants in the colours of fire bloom here, such as the red fire maple and fire-wings tulips in yellow and orange. There is also a replica hose tower outside, which is lit up in the evening. An excellent object to demonstrate how fire hoses are dried to anyone who has never seen this process. For children, there are fire-fighting activities with real water, Wellington boots and rain jackets (and a tree with red pennants imitating flames) - clearly, the youngest visitors are hugely excited to join in the action. Railway fans are delighted with the Märklin railway layout in the museum. The people of Norderstedt are also so enthusiastic about the facility in their town that the museum has plenty of volunteers. The popular Christmas market of the artisans, the Norderstedt Museum Festival and the Norderstedt City Museum in May ensure crowds of visitors every year. One admission ticket allows entry to both museums.
Brandenburg would prefer to have much more space. In its early years, the Norderstedt Fire Brigade Museum accepted numerous collections, but it has now stopped taking them in. But Brandenburg, whose enthusiasm for everything to do with the fire brigade stems from his childhood (his father was a fireman), still has an ace up his sleeve. The 20-metre-long HOECHST fireboat from Frankfurt am Main will soon be on display in Norderstedt. It was in service from 1961 to 2021 for the works fire brigade of Farbwerke Hoechst AG works and its successor company Infraserv GmbH & Co. Höchst KG, and is currently still moored in Hamburg-Billbrook and will find its final mooring in the museum. Hajo Brandenburg and the board of the museum “friends” will certainly give it a final resting place in the outdoor area.
