German Salt Museum

It’s easy to forget what a colossal impact such a simple substance as salt has had on our lives, and our civilization, and it’s even easier to forget that it doesn’t just come from nowhere. Thankfully we have places like the German Salt Museum to remind us of salt’s history and importance.

Opened in 1989, the museum is located in one of the old buildings that was once a part of the Lüneburg Saltworks. Salt has been an integral part of Lüneburg’s economy since at least the 12th century, and the saltworks that once stood on the site of the current salt museum had grown into one of the oldest and largest salt factories in central Europe by the time it closed in 1980. However when the actual factory shut down, the locals weren’t about to let their salty heritage die, so the salt museum was proposed.

Using artifacts, equipment, and even buildings from the old saltworks, the museum put together a wide-ranging exhibition on the history and importance of salt and its surrounding industry. They have a number of exhibits covering the various ages of from medieval times to the present. There are old train cars (including one you have to walk through just to enter). There are interactive displays on the make-up and nature of salt as well as fascinating histories of the industry.

Salt is an integral part of our lives and economies, so isn’t it about time that you learned up on the clear history of the substance that’s much more than a condiment?