The German Blade Museum Solingen is a special cultural-historical museum dedicated to the significance, manufacture and use of blades in the history of mankind. It has an internationally significant collection of edged weapons and cutting implements of all kinds and houses the largest cutlery collection in the world.
It all started in the school. When the "Technical School for the Steelware Industry" was founded in 1904, cutlery products from Solingen were needed as illustrative material for the students. The motto at the time was to learn from the achievements of the past. After all, Solingen had always been the center of German blade and cutlery production. The school's teaching materials soon became the basis for a unique collection of pieces from all over the world, which can now be viewed in the former Augustiner-Chorfrauen-Stift in the Gräfrath district.
The German Blade Museum covers a broad spectrum, ranging from the use of blades in military conflicts to the history of table culture. The exhibits range from prehistoric stone blades to modern ceremonial swords, from simple medieval knives to 21st century designer cutlery. On a tour of the exhibition, which is enriched by paintings, graphics, sculptures and staged displays, visitors also learn a lot of interesting facts about the importance that cutting has had in the history of mankind and still has today.
The permanent exhibition "ME FECIT SOLINGEN - Blades : City : History" explains why and how Solingen became the world-famous city of blades. A captivating production with interactive stations invites visitors to discover the history of blades in Solingen from the Middle Ages to the 18th century.
In the children's exhibition "DRAGON AND MAGIC SWORD", children experience a fairytale journey through Solingen's blade tradition. At several stations, they can help the animals of the enchanted forest with their blade craft and finally awaken the sleeping dragon.
The museum also gives visitors an insight into the practical side of blade-making: In its own forge, for example, visitors can learn how to forge knives, workshops teach the art of fencing and etiquette courses explain how to behave at the table.
