The fascinating history of the painting trade in the Hamburg bell house

The fascinating history of the painting trade in the Hamburg bell house

This is in Hamburg, where history and craftsmanship come together in a 400-year-old half-timbered house German Painters and Decorators Museum. It tells the over 800-year history of the painting trade and invites visitors to delve deeply into the heritage of this craft trade. The museum is not only a place of learning, but also a living archive of craft traditions.

The roots of the painting trade go back to the times of the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. With the rise of the Roman Empire, art and crafts were brought to our region, and the painting trade flourished in Hamburg in the Middle Ages at the latest. The first guilds emerged here, and sign makers, who are considered the ancestors of today's painters and varnishers, began their artistic work. The craft experienced a remarkable heyday, particularly in the 14th century, when wealthy merchants decorated their private residences with wall paintings, as maler-wedel.de reports.

A look into the museum

The opening of the museum took place on May 18, 1984, initiated by Joachim Germann, the then head master of the Hamburg Painters and Varnishers Guild. In the 1970s, the idea of ​​collecting materials and documents to document the history of the painting trade was born. This ultimately led to the founding of the museum, which has since taken care of documenting and documenting the creative past of the craft in order to pass it on to future generations. The board of the main association of the German painters and varnishers gave their approval to the founding of the museum, which is housed in the historic Billwerder bell house, as newsflash24.de mentioned.

There are many exciting elements in the exhibition, including journeyman and master certificates, guild items and examination papers. Particularly highlighted are the seven different “Schott’s carts”, which were used by craftsmen and small traders until the 1950s. The newly added “Tenne”, which was opened in 2002 as an extension of the exhibition area, is also very popular.

Celebrations and perspectives

In 2024, the museum will celebrate its 40th anniversary and will certainly plan some special events to mark the occasion. The museum will also be taking part in the #seeforfree event on October 31, 2025, where interested visitors will be made aware of the diversity of the painting profession from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The tours in the main house promise exciting insights and a lively presentation of the craftsmanship that has grown over the centuries.

Through the Dr. The Murjahn Sponsorship Prize focused on the importance of the German Painter and Decorator Museum in order to strengthen the image of this traditional profession, as malermuseum.de can state. The creative works of the past continue to inspire and contribute to Hamburg's cultural identity.

The German Painters and Decorators Museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. If you have any questions outside of these times, you can contact the Hamburg Painters and Decorators Guild on 040 – 35 905 882. History comes to life here, and every visit is a journey through the era of the painting trade.