Small Bee Museum Oberlichtenau

The Kleine Bienenmuseum Oberlichtenau is an apiary museum in the village of Oberlichtenau, part of Pulsnitz in the Bautzen district. Housed in an 18th-century timber-framed house, the museum sits at the heart of a village that has long supported beekeeping. The building itself was chosen for its historic character, with local figures such as former mayor Siegfried Moschke championing its preservation. The museum opened in 1995 under the direction of the Oberlichtenau Beekeepers’ Association. It now safeguards the legacies of two respected local beekeepers: Paul Haase and Karl Kummer. The museum owes its existence to the work of Paul Haase, Siegfried Moschke and the Beekeepers’ Association. Haase’s collection formed the original core, while Karl Kummer’s estate arrived in 1998. Kummer is widely known for developing the Carnica breeding line that still bears his name. The association’s breeding successes during the 20th century helped raise the village’s profile. In 2024 the association received the Saxon Citizen Award for its care of the museum. It has since been nominated for the German Engagement Prize. Inside, the exhibition is divided into four sections covering bee biology, beekeeping, honey products and tools. Visitors see historic honey extractors, traditional skeps and models of early hives. A display on honey products includes samples of wax and examples of adulteration. The museum also holds a small specialist library of around 300 books and hundreds of journals, including a 1798 volume by Adam Gottlob Schirach. Outside, a teaching apiary and glass-walled observation hive sit beside a bee-friendly garden and information boards on wild bees.