The Howaldtsche Metallgießerei Industrial Museum has been part of the Kiel City and Maritime Museum since 2020. The workshop of the historic building with the casting furnaces, workbenches and tools has been preserved in its original state and can be visited during opening hours. Dates for guided tours, demonstrations and casting workshops are announced on the website.

The former metal foundry of the Howaldtswerke is the oldest surviving structure of the Kiel shipyard industry. In 1876 Georg Howaldt (1841-1909) founded an iron shipyard on the banks of the Schwentine in Dietrichsdorf. In the 1880s he and his brothers also moved their machine factory there. The new buildings, including the metal foundry, were built according to plans by the Kiel architect Heinrich Modlenschardt (1839 -1891).

From 1884 to 1980, equipment parts for the ships of Howaldtswerke (later HDW) were cast in bronze, brass, copper and lead in the metal foundry. After HDW had built modern shipyard facilities in Kiel-Gaarden, production in Dietrichsdorf was abandoned in 1983. The former metal foundry was listed in 1992 and renovated from 2005 to 2007 with funds from the German Foundation for Monument Protection, EU subsidies and donations. From May 2007, an association ran the museum on a voluntary basis until it handed it over to the Kiel City and Shipping Museum at the end of 2019.

Free entrance.

Arriving by car

From all directions in Kiel, follow the signs for "Ostuferhafen" and in the vicinity "Gießerei-Museum".
Shortly before the entrance to the harbour, the metal foundry is on the right. There is a public car park behind the building.

Arriving by public transport

By bus
Bus line 11 to the "Grenzstraße" stop
Bus line 60S to the "Schwentinestraße" stop (Mon-Fri)

By ferry
F2 ("Schwentinelinie") to "Dietrichsdorf" pier (Mon-Fri)

Find more museums…

of the type: Industry/History of technology

of the region: Stadt Kiel

in: Kiel