Welcome to the Borstei-Museum! It’s a place that might surprise you. Standing here opposite the fascinating Borstei housing complex, you might picture a grand, traditional museum. But the Borstei-Museum is different. It’s housed in a modest building in one of the courtyards of the Borstei development itself. This makes it the smallest museum in Munich! It was opened in 2006 by Erna Borst, the daughter-in-law of the developer, Bernhard Borst.
Here you can learn about the unique history of this community and its visionary builder, Bernhard Borst. He envisioned a new way of living, where modern conveniences and sustainability were combined. The Borstei was an ambitious project, built between 1924 and 1929. Borst wanted to create a place where families could thrive, with spacious, light-filled homes, and a sense of community so strong that he even included a central heating power plant, something revolutionary at the time!
Imagine living in the Borstei in those early years. You had running hot water, telephones, gas stoves, and even heated garages! You could drop off your laundry at the central laundry service and pick it up fresh and pressed within 24 hours. And if you needed a handyman – a carpenter, plumber, or gardener – they were available on call. It was a self-sufficient community, a utopia of its time.
The Borstei-Museum offers a glimpse into this utopian vision. It houses artifacts, photographs, and documents, offering a window into life not just in the Borstei, but life in Munich during the 1920s, a time of great change and progress. A time too that was tragically interrupted by World War II, which unfortunately inflicted significant damage on the Borstei.
However, despite the scars of war, the Borstei still stands today. It’s a testament to Borst’s vision, and still remains one of the most unique urban developments in Munich. So take a moment to truly appreciate the history and foresight that went into creating this architectural marvel. The Borstei-Museum offers a captivating story, and the Borstei itself offers a glimpse into a past that still resonates today.