The German Blade Museum Solingen is a special cultural-historical museum dedicated to the significance, manufacture and use of blades in the history of mankind. It has an internationally significant collection of edged weapons and cutting implements of all kinds and houses the largest cutlery collection in the world.
It all started in the school. When the "Technical School for the Steelware Industry" was founded in 1904, cutlery products from Solingen were needed as illustrative material for the students. The motto at the time was to learn from the achievements of the past. After all, Solingen had always been the center of German blade and cutlery production. The school's teaching materials soon became the basis for a unique collection of pieces from all over the world, which can now be viewed in the former Augustiner-Chorfrauen-Stift in the Gräfrath district.
The German Blade Museum covers a broad spectrum, ranging from the use of blades in military conflicts to the history of table culture. The exhibits range from prehistoric stone blades to modern ceremonial swords, from simple medieval knives to 21st century designer cutlery. On a tour of the exhibition, which is enriched by paintings, graphics, sculptures and staged displays, visitors also learn a lot of interesting facts about the importance of cutting in the history of mankind.
The museum also gives visitors an insight into the practical side of the blade: For example, knife forging can be learned in the museum's own forge, workshops teach the art of fencing and etiquette courses explain how to behave at the table.
