The Deutsche Hutmuseum (German Hat Museum) in Lindenberg opened last month. Lindenberg in the Allgäu region, used to be the centre of the German straw hat industry.
Several million hats were produced every year there and exported across the world. The new permanent exhibition, conceived and designed by Atelier Bruckner, illustrates the history of millinery in the context of the town’s past. The exhibition is located in the former Ottmar Reich hat factory, which dates to 1923 and has been reinvented as a culture factory.
Two floors, both with around 500m2 of floor space, accommodate thematic presentations, each of which consists of an impressive central installation surrounded by chronologically arranged units. Media stations and opportunities for hands-on participation have been integrated. They actively involve the visitor, making use of protagonists who tell stories about their lives to bring the past closer to the present.