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German Shoe Museum

Location within Germany
Established	1800
Location	Hauenstein, Palatinate
Coordinates	49°11′23″N 7°51′21″E / 49.18972°N 7.85583°E / 49.18972; 7.85583
Website	www.deutsches-schuhmuseum.de

The German Shoe Museum (German: Deutsches Schuhmuseum Hauenstein, full name: Museum für Schuhproduktion und Industriegeschichte Hauenstein) is a museum in Hauenstein, Palatinate. Its exhibits cover the development of the local shoe industry. On four stories of an old shoe factory, the museum illustrates both technical aspects of shoe manufacturing and the social and every day history of shoes.

The exhibition portrays the beginnings of the shoe industry in the nearby town of Pirmasens dating to around 1800, when discharged soldiers made shoes to earn a living. By the mid-19th century Pirmasens had developed into the most important site of the German shoe industry. This affected the little village of Hauenstein, which at the time consisted mainly of small farmers and forest workers.

In 1886 the Seibel brothers founded the first shoe factory in Hauenstein. By 1914, twenty factories had been established, with more than 1,000 employees. Despite the pressures to combine that arose from the French occupation, economic crises, and the war years, the number of factories had grown by 1960 to 35. Thereafter, however, progressive automation and the relocation of production to foreign countries led to a serious structural crisis in the German shoe industry, resulting in numerous businesses being closed.

The German Shoe Museum is housed in one of these former production facilities.

Circular walk

A circular walk runs through the museum. The ground floor covers the early days of shoe manufacturing from 1740 to 1918, from steam engines to typical accommodations for the workers in a shoe factory. The top floor houses a collection of over 3,000 pairs of historic shoes owned by a shoe collector from Viersen, Ernst Tillmann.

The presentation of period and social history on the second floor covers the years 1918 to 1945. Here there is a still fully working "modern" shoe factory, which is in operation daily.

On the lower floor, the years from 1945 until now are covered. Here the museum shows the impact of the Second World War on the shoe industry and types of shoes made. The visitor is led through a typical 1960s flat and they can see, in a completely equipped shoe salon, how the fit of new shoes was tested with a fluoroscope using X-rays.

Also on the first floor is the largest pair of shoes in the world: a size 248. At the conclusion of the circular walk, the shoes of several prominent people, such as Angela Merkel and Joschka Fischer are displayed.

Award

The German Shoe Museum in Hauenstein was awarded an "excellent" grade in the European Museum competition because, in the view of the assessment panel, it brings together well the presentation of shoe culture and social history.

References

1. "Hauenstein: German shoe museum is a step into the past" Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2014-7-21.
2. "Satisfy your shoe fetish with a trip to the German Shoe Museum" Kaiserslautern American. Retrieved 2014-7-21.

External links

• Internet site of the museum

v t e Footwear
Abandoned footwear Shoe Shoemaking Shoe size
Dress shoes	Blucher Brogues Brothel creepers Derby Monks Oxfords Spectator shoes (Co-respondent shoes) Winklepickers Wholecuts Slip-on shoes Court shoes Prince Albert slippers Loafers Venetian-style shoes Women's Ballet flats High-heeled footwear Mary Janes Mojari Mules Peep-toe shoes Saddle shoes Slingbacks
Other shoes	Driving moccasins Flip-flops Galoshes Platform shoes Sandals Self-tying shoes Slides Slippers (Uwabaki) Tiger-head shoes Veldskoens Zōri
Wooden footwear	Bakya British clogs Cantabrian albarcas Clogs Geta Klompen Namaksin Okobo Padukas Pattens Sabot Träskor
Boots	Military Ammunition boots Bunny boots Combat boots Jackboots Jump boots Jungle boots Tanker boots Trench boots Munson Last Work Australian work boots Cowboy boots Engineer boots Hip boots Jika-tabi Rigger boots Steel-toe boots Waders Fashion boots Chelsea boots (Beatle boots) Chukka boots Go-go boots Knee-high boots Over-the-knee boots Platform boots Thigh-high boots Ugg boots Other Jodhpur boots Wellington boots Ballet boots Bean boots
Sport-related footwear	Athletic shoes Ballet shoes Boat shoes Climbing shoes Cross country running shoes Cycling shoes Football boots Ghillies Hiking boots Ice skates Inline skates Kung fu shoes Minimalist shoes Motorcycle boots Mountaineering boots Plimsolls Pointe shoes Racing flats Racing shoes Riding boots Roller shoes Roller skates Sabatons Safari boots Skate shoes Ski boots Sneakers Swimfins Water shoes Wrestling shoes
Folk footwear	Abacas Abarkas Alpargatas Avarcas Balghas Bast shoes Ciocie Clogs Espadrilles Furlane Galesh Geta Giveh Haferlschuh Hnyat-phanats Huarache Hwa Jipsin Jorabs Kamiks Kolhapuri chappals Moccasins Mojaris Mukluks Nalins Okobo Opanci Peshawari chappals Snowshoes Tsarouchi Takunya Upanah Valenkis Waraji Zōri
Historical footwear	Areni-1 shoes Buskins Calcei Caligae Carbatina Cavalier boots Chinese styles Chopines Duckbill shoes Flowerpot shoes Hessians Lotus shoes Pampooties Pigaches Poulaines Socci Turnshoes
Shoe construction	Bespoke shoes Blake construction Goodyear welt Shoe buckle Shoelaces Toe box High heels Clear heels Kitten heels Spool heels Stiletto heels Wedges
Hosiery	Anklets Bobby socks Dress socks Footwraps Knee highs Pantyhose Sock Stocking Tights Toe socks Tabi
Other related	Spats
List of shoe styles

• Buildings and structures in the Palatinate Forest
• Heritage sites in Rhineland-Palatinate
• Museums in Rhineland-Palatinate
• Buildings and structures in Südwestpfalz
• Shoe museums