Wirtschaftsmuseum

The Wirtschaftsmuseum Kreis Ravensburg stands in the medieval Altstadt of Ravensburg, housed in a 15th-century patrician building that once belonged to the Furttenbach family. In the 19th century it served as the Oberamtspflege and later became the first seat of the Oberamtssparkasse, the earliest Kreissparkasse in Württemberg. After the Ravensburger Verlag occupied the building, it was transformed into today’s museum, opening in 2012 and reopening under its current name in 2024. Christian von der Heydt leads the institution, which was originally devoted to the economic and social history of the 19th and 20th centuries in the region. The museum is part of the city’s Museumsviertel, a cluster of four cultural venues created between 2009 and 2013. The museum now focuses on financial education through interactive displays. Its core exhibition ‘Mein Geld – Das kleine 1×1 der Finanzen’ introduces visitors to earning, saving, borrowing and repaying. The ‘Financial Life Guide’ outlines five life stages and encourages personal financial planning, while the ‘Planet Finance’ room hosts workshops and project work. Local companies are celebrated in ‘Wirtschaftsgeschichten – Unsere Local Heroes’, and current money topics are explored in the ‘Finanzheroes’ programme. A highlight is the ‘Mission Fake Money’ escape room, devised with Ravensburger Spieleverlag, set in the former vaults of the region’s first savings bank. Visitors also encounter historical objects from regional businesses. The old safe room of the Oberamtssparkasse remains in place, alongside a test engine built by automotive pioneer Jakob Kilgus and peat briquettes used to fire the first production of Oberland Glas. Short audio plays and recorded interviews accompany the exhibits, bringing the stories to life. The museum offers guided tours for schools, companies and private groups, making its hands-on displays accessible to all.