The German Oil Industry Museum

Did you know that the nearby town of Wietze is the cradle of the German oil industry? Industrial oil has been extracted here using above-ground "Teekuhlen" (pumps) since the middle of the 17th century, when oil was used both as a lubricant and medicine! In 1858/59 one of the first oil wells in the world was sunk here, in Wietze. In 1899 there was an oil boom and by 1909 almost 80% of German oil production came from Wietze.

In 1920 an oil mine was even put into operation, which, by the time it closed in 1963, had a route length of almost 100 kilometers. Even as early as 1930, there were almost 2000 boreholes in the region. Within just a few years, this once tranquil little heathland village had become an industrial powerhouse - much to the regret of the heathland poet, Hermann Löns.

Embark on a journey into the exciting history of ‘black gold’ and explore an area of the old Wietze oil field, including much of the machinery relics from its heydey, some of which are still functioning today!