The German Maritime Museum is a museum in Bremerhaven, Germany. It is part of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Scientific Community. The main museum building was opened on 5 September 1975 by then-president of Germany Walter Scheel, though scientific work already had started in 1971. The museum consists of the building planned by Hans Scharoun as well as several museum ships in the Old Harbour of Bremerhaven, including the Seute Deern windjammer. The building and the 8 ships of the museum fleet, located between the Old Harbor and the Weser dike, as en esemble were placed under Bremen Cultural heritage management in 2005. In 2000 at the 25th anniversary of the museum, the Hansekogge, a ship constructed around 1380 that was found in the Weser river in 1962, was presented to the public after having undergone a lengthy process of conservation in a large preservative-filled basin.

History

The German Maritime Museum (DSM) was founded in Bremerhaven in 1971 to replace the Museum of Marine Science in Berlin, which had been destroyed during World War II. Its task is to collect, record, research and present documents and artefacts pertaining to German maritime history. For this purpose, the DSM is equipped with laboratories and technical facilities for the examination, conservation and restoration of different types of water craft as well as other objects. It also houses a wide range of artefact collections and a dedicated archive and specialist library with adjacent reading room. The DSM is publisher of two periodicals as well as four scientific monograph series. In 2024 the buildings of the museums were restuarted. The federal government and state governments of Bremen have spent 42 million euros. The museums management said, this is to little to keep the museum and fleet running in the future.

Research

DSM research is focussed on the following fields:

Exhibitions

Permanent exhibitions at the DSM include: