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German Packaging Museum (Heidelberg)

Florian Buechting Museums & Exhibitions No Comments

German Packaging Museum

7 EUR
German Packaging Museum
3.6

Rating

 3.6/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Very interesting topic
  • Well presented in limited available space

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Temporary exhibition rather for topic experts

I feel that one advantage of Flyctory.com compared to significantly larger travel platforms is that I can also take you to places which are obscure, not too well known – or just a bit hidden. I especially love museums with a not too mainstream-alike focus  This description is definitely also in line with the Deutsches Verpackungs-Museum, the “German Packaging Museum”. It is located in the heart of Heidelberg which I visited on a day trip in early 2022.

 

German Packaging Museum – Location & Admission

The German Packaging Museum is located at the Hauptstrasse, which translates to “Main Street” and his the key mass tourism magnet when it comes to visiting the picturesque old town. The museum is well signed from the street in the pedestrian area. However, it is located in a back courtyard, so that you have to walk through a short arcade (which features some museum exhibits) to get there. The closest spot for public transport is likely the Bismarckplatz, which is offering to connections to numerous bus and tram lines. The museum website also names the bus stop Vincentinuskrankenhaus.

The museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Wednesday to Friday, the museum is opening from 13:00 to 17:00 hrs. On Saturdays and Sundays, the Deutsches Verpackungs-Museum is opening one hour earlier. Adult admission is 7 Euro.

 

German Packaging Museum – The Visit

Even though the place does not look like that all, it is in fact located in a church. The building has in fact been a Notkirche (or Nothkirche), a church which has been built into a house which a very different original determination. The two floors of the church are it major exhibition space. However, you also touch some annexes. The key aim of the museum is to illustrate the cultural impact of packaging – and, vice versa, how boxes, cans and other items used to protect goods reflect society. The museum and its sponsors also annually hand out awards on that topic.

You enter the museum on the upper level. Before you walk down to the lower exhibition space, you are given a basic overview on different kids of packaging, the historic role of packaging as well as a bit of a touch into branding. This section of the museum also shows a lot of historic boxes, cans and also packaging machines, which I felt very interesting. After heading down the stairs, you also learn about all the materials used for packaging. Sounds a bit thin and like general knowledge – but I really liked this part of the exhibition.

Finally, the general part of the exhibition also deals with the evolution of brands and their packaging, majorly illustrated on some very famous German franchises. Some companies feel a bit too frequently represented, which may also be related to their sponsorship role.

Bauhaus and Packaging

The special exhibition during my visit was the influence of the Bauhaus design style to packaging. While some of the items and their explanations felt quite interesting to me, my thoughts about this section were similar to the ones on the German Architecture Museum in Frankfurt: if you are an expert for the topic, you will love and praise that exhibition. For “just interested” people, it is just too specialized, including the language used. IT was interesting, however, to be introduced to some of the master designers of popular packaging. Back in the permanent exhibition, there were some more items. One of my favorites was to make me aware that record covers / sleeves and similar items are packing as well. Trivial, but somehow educating as well.

 

German Packaging Museum – Services

The staff in the museum was very friendly. Even though I have visited this place on a Saturday afternoon, I have been the only guest in the exhibition during my whole stay. The entrance area also features a small souvenir shop.

 

German Packaging Museum – My View

Despite my critics on the temporary exhibition, I in general enjoyed the visit in the Deutsches Verpackungs-Museum. I feel they do quite well to introduce the topic to visitors. Here and there, I would have loved to have a more detailed explanation and more exhibits, but there is just too few exhibition space.

 

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