Elvis-Presley-Museum

The Elvis-Presley-Museum was a small museum in Düsseldorf’s old town dedicated to the life and work of Elvis Presley. It opened in December 2011 and closed in August 2013 after its building was sold. The collection had been gathered between the 1950s and 1970s by three collectors: Andreas Schröer, Michael Knorr and Oskar Hentschel. In its two years it attracted 15,000 visitors. After the closure the exhibits toured until the end of 2014, showing in Hannover’s theatre museum. The collection numbered about 1,500 items, of which 600 were displayed at any one time. It claimed to be the largest Elvis collection outside the United States. Among the objects were an 1870 family Bible, Presley’s 1953 schoolbooks with his notes, handwritten letters, favourite LPs, his wedding china and gifts, stage and film costumes, a private Isana guitar, a bicycle and other personal belongings. A strong focus was on the period when Elvis served in the US Army in Bad Nauheim, Hesse. Visitors found a compact display of memorabilia arranged in a single suite of rooms. The exhibits included documents, clothing, instruments and household items that told the story of Presley’s military service and civilian life. Labels gave background on each piece, linking it to specific moments in his career. The museum offered a quiet, reflective space in the heart of Düsseldorf’s historic quarter, far from the noise of modern entertainment.