Darß-Museum

The Darß-Museum stands in Prerow, a seaside resort on the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula. Housed since 1995 in a former guesthouse built in 1939, the brick building is protected as a monument. Three ancient oaks, between 150 and 350 years old, grow on the plot between Waldstraße and Hülsenstraße. The museum garden displays original fishing boats such as Heuer, Polt and Zeesenboot. Visitors can also see changing exhibitions in the Kaminzimmer and join events that revive old crafts and local customs. The museum grew from two local Heimat exhibitions in 1951 and 1952, organised by residents including the von Wedelstädt family. The first director, biologist Gerta Anders, opened the museum in the Deichhaus in 1953. Helene Trauschies led it for forty years, developing the landscape-museum concept and starting a seventy-year tradition of fresh-plant displays. Since 1996 Antje Hückstädt has overseen expansions into building culture, underwater archaeology and the resort’s history. The museum also runs youth workshops and hosts readings on coastal literature. Inside, displays cover geology, birds, mammals and insects, alongside cultural exhibits on fishing, shipping and regional architecture. The garden hosts regular markets and festivals. A programme of guided tours and lectures links the collections to the peninsula’s living heritage. The museum’s work is supported by a local association founded in 1992, which publishes books and organises public events.