Indianermuseum Gevezin

The Indianermuseum Gevezin was a private museum housed in the Gutshaus Gevezin, a 1912-built estate in the village of Blankenhof in Mecklenburg. Its collection of more than four thousand items was the largest private holding of North American Indian artefacts in Germany. The displays traced the origins and development of indigenous cultures from early times through to the 20th century.

The museum’s founder, Karl-Heinrich Gehricke, began collecting as a child after meeting Patty Frank, curator of the Karl-May-Museum in Radebeul. His grandfather had started gathering Indian objects on North America trips in the late 19th century, and his father continued the habit. Gehricke later lived with various tribes in the United States and amassed clothing, weapons, jewellery and everyday tools. After retiring he tried to find public exhibition space in Berlin but failed to secure support, so he bought and restored the Gutshaus and opened the museum in 2002 with his son Friedrich W. Gehricke.

Visitors walked through rooms arranged as a continuous exhibition of artefacts and paintings. The collection included hunting and war gear, ceremonial dress and household items from many nations. Alongside hung works by 19th-century German painters, and a memorial area recalled the life and writings of Karl May. Outside, the parkland around the Gutshaus offered quiet walks among old trees. The museum closed in 2012 after attempts to attract more visitors proved unsuccessful.