How packaging tells us of Consumer Culture throughout History:

German Museum of Packaging - Photo courtesy Heidelberg-Marketing.de..

The German Museum of Packaging does not seem to be the kind of place that travellers would be interested in on a Heidelberg holiday. But don’t be deceived by the name – The German Museum of Packaging is quite a unique and interesting museum that’s not just about the history of packaging and marketing of commodities.  Through commodity packaging, the museum’s collections also tell of the evolution of consumer culture and the cultural development of society.

Opened in Heidelberg in 1997, the Museum is the first and only museum of its type whose focus is the cultural achievement of product packaging.  We all know that packaging plays an important role in the consumer’s choice of a product and that it differentiates the perceived character of brand identity. Whilst the actual function of the packaging has not changed throughout history, packaging design has and so has the way products are presented.  These changes clearly demonstrate how society has changed over the course of time and the Museum’s exhibits and exhibitions trace these changes for us.  In Germany especially, there are significant changes pre and post the Berlin Wall.

At the German Museum are exhibits of all kinds of packaging,  including everything from the traditional to the unusual and ground-breaking.

The German Museum of Packaging is located in a former church in the middle of Heidelberg’s Old Town.  This unique packaging history museum showcases key developments in packaging technology and there are continually changing exhibits, symposiums and presentations devoted to packaging design.

So, if you’re curious about how life has changed in Germany in the past decades, head for The German Museum of Packaging and you’ll be surprised at what you can learn from product packaging.

German Museum of Packaging
Hauptstrasse 22 (inner courtyard)
69117 Heidelberg
Telephone: 06221 – 21361
Telefax: 06221 – 658414
www.verpackungsmuseum.de

Opening Hours
Wednesday – Friday: 13:00 – 18:00
Saturday, Sunday, Holidays: 11:00 – 18:00
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays (except holidays)

Entrance Fees
Adults: € 3.50
Pupils, Students, Physically Challenged: € 2.50
HeidelbergCard holders:  € 3.00

Guided Tours
€ 30.00 (plus tickets)
To schedule a private tour, call: 06221-166776 or send a fax to: 06221-658414