“Erhalt durch Produktion!” Ever heard that motto before? It’s the beating heart of the Buchdruck-Museum here in Hannover. This isn’t your typical museum with velvet ropes and hushed whispers.
The Buchdruck-Museum is tucked away in a backyard off Limmerstraße. You might miss it. A simple sign marks the entrance. Before 2007, this was a workshop. Lindener artisans worked here. Now, the Freundeskreis Schwarze Kunst e.V. fills it with the history of printing.
Step inside the Buchdruck-Museum. Travel back to the 19th century. See how books and newspapers were crafted by hand. The museum shows the era before computers took over. The era before modern printing pushed out the old ways.
Look around. Notice the large wooden desks. They hold cases with about 60 different fonts. These fonts were used for hand typesetting. An impressive Linotype typesetting machine stands nearby. A printing press from the USA is over 100 years old. It is a star of this collection. There are around 25 machines for printing, cutting, pressing, and binding paper. Many tools are here too. Each was important in the printing process.
Upstairs, a small lecture room awaits. Books, newspapers, and archives fill it. They tell the story of printing. Many items relate to Hannover’s printing history. Visitors learn printing terms. A model shows how Johannes Gutenberg printed in his time.
This Buchdruck-Museum is alive. Touch, explore, and experience the “black art” of printing. “Black art” is an old term for printing. The museum encourages interaction. Visitors can set type using a composing stick. Children can set their names. Then they get a printed certificate. Experts guide and help. You must read all characters mirror-inverted. It is a challenge.
The museum creates fine art prints. They work with artists using woodcuts and lithographs. The “Schwarze Kunst” members operate the Buchdruck-Museum. They receive no public funding. Seventy members run it. Many come from printing industry jobs. Membership fees and entry fees support the museum. Sales of posters and postcards also help. COVID-19 once threatened the museum. Thankfully, things improved. Members handle everything themselves.
Regular opening hours are limited. It is open Wednesday afternoons. But groups can book visits. The Buchdruck-Museum preserves printing history. It makes the knowledge accessible. You can visit the Buchdruck-Museum to experience the printing trade. You can understand the printing process. You can even create your own designs.