Das Kartoffelmuseum

The Kartoffelmuseum in Munich focused on the potato’s role in art history. It opened in 1996 under the Otto Eckart Foundation, led by Otto Eckart, heir to the Pfanni food company and Honorary Consul of Guatemala. The museum grew from a private collection of potato-themed artworks and documents. Its eight rooms traced the potato from Inca gold to folk food, showing flowers, tubers and market scenes. One gallery explored the potato’s many uses, while another displayed rare items. A later addition told the story of the Pfanni brand from 1949 to 1999. Visitors found paintings, prints and drawings alongside a specialist library. The displays ranged from old engravings to modern graphics. The building itself, the former Pfanni factory on Grafinger Strasse, added industrial character to the visit.