Tour in the Showcase Depot of the Benary Warehouse: Experience Erfurt's collection history

A glimpse into Erfurt's hidden collection world

The public tour in the showcase depot of the Benary Warehouse opens on July 22, 2026, a rare access to two extraordinary collections of the Erfurt museum landscape: the South Sea collection and the Kämmerer collection. In the historical storage space, visitors encounter objects that unfold a dense narrative intertwining colonial history, bourgeois collecting culture, and museum preservation. The tour invites participants to not only observe items but to read them in their cultural and historical context. ([geschichtsmuseen.erfurt.de](https://geschichtsmuseen.erfurt.de/gm/de/museen/stadtmuseum/nebeneinrichtungen/benaryspeicher/index.html?utm_source=openai))

The South Sea collection as a museum field of remembrance

Particularly striking is the South Sea collection, which traces back to the colonial official Dr. Wilhelm Knappe and encompasses over 600 objects. Everyday items, jewelry, weapons, and a nearly six-meter-long outrigger canoe provide insight into a collection history that is now viewed with critical awareness. It is precisely this connection between material fascination and historical responsibility that makes the art experience in the showcase depot so remarkable. ([geschichtsmuseen.erfurt.de](https://geschichtsmuseen.erfurt.de/gm/de/museen/stadtmuseum/nebeneinrichtungen/benaryspeicher/index.html?utm_source=openai))

The Kämmerer collection and the elegance of bourgeois culture

The Kämmerer collection complements the tour with furniture, paintings, and valuable porcelain from Thuringian manufactories. Here, one can see the finely balanced aesthetics of an Erfurt merchant family, whose collection was transferred to the Angermuseum in 1996. This creates a multifaceted examination of works for art and culture enthusiasts: not just individual exhibits are central, but the question of how taste, possession, and memory condense in museums. ([geschichtsmuseen.erfurt.de](https://geschichtsmuseen.erfurt.de/gm/de/museen/stadtmuseum/nebeneinrichtungen/benaryspeicher/index.html?utm_source=openai))

Benary Warehouse as a place of mediation

The Benary Warehouse itself provides a special exhibition atmosphere for the tour. The building was constructed in 1887 as a storage facility for seeds and today houses the printing museum as well as the showcase depot of the museums of the city of Erfurt. Tours are possible during opening hours or by appointment; the tour on July 22 is part of a mediation offer that connects historical collection culture, museum education, and cultural education. ([museen.thueringen.de](https://www.museen.thueringen.de/museum/DE-MUS-789619?utm_source=openai))

Conclusion

Those wishing to experience Erfurt's museum landscape from a new perspective will find a tour that offers depth, sensuality, and intellectual appeal. The journey through the showcase depot makes it visible how collections carry stories and how museums translate the past into the present. A visit is worthwhile for all those who want to not only see historical objects but truly understand them. ([geschichtsmuseen.erfurt.de](https://geschichtsmuseen.erfurt.de/gm/de/museen/stadtmuseum/nebeneinrichtungen/benaryspeicher/index.html?utm_source=openai))

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• Website: https://geschichtsmuseen.erfurt.de/gm/de/museen/stadtmuseum/nebeneinrichtungen/benaryspeicher/index.html

Sources:

• Benary Warehouse - History Museums Erfurt
• Tour in the Showcase Depot of the Benary Warehouse - History Museums Erfurt
• Visitor Information and Service - History Museums Erfurt
• Printing Museum and Showcase Depot of the Museums of the City of Erfurt in the Benary Warehouse - Museums in Thuringia