Schönebeck/Elbe Museum of Industry and Art

The town of Schönebeck, located 15 km south of Magdeburg on the Elbe river, has a considerable but little-known industrial history, which also has some special features. Since the 12th century, brine, from which salt was extracted, has been mined in the area of today's Bad Salzelmen district. From 1756-65, a graduation works was built which, after extensions, reached a total length of 1,837m; the longest in Germany, of which 300m still remain today. As early as 1792, a steam engine was installed to pump the brine. After the discovery of the healing properties of brine, Germany's first brine spa was opened here in 1802 and is still in operation today, while salt production ceased in 1967. Originally to use waste from the saltworks, 'Hermania', Germany's first chemical factory, was built in 1793 and still exists after a varied history. Among other things, 'Hermania' produced nitric acid, which a percussion cap and cartridge factory founded in 1829 used for its primer; the factory developed into Germany's oldest ammunition manufacturer still in production today.

The history of these industries, as well as that of numerous other companies from the industrial sectors of energy, explosives, ammunition and weapons, mechanical engineering, foundry work, vehicle construction and peripheral industries from Schönebeck and the surrounding region, is remembered by the Industrial Museum. It was opened in 2013 in the over 100-year-old, partly listed ensemble of buildings of the city's former gas and electricity works, which the association "industriemuseum Schönebeck/Elbe e.V." - Erlebniswelt Technik und Innovation (iMUSEt) has taken over and successively renovated and equipped for museum purposes. The exhibits include machines and products from ammunition production, metalworking and electrical engineering with a working mercury vapour rectifier. In the area of vehicle construction, the legendary RS-08, RS-09 and ZT 300 tractors stand out, which were manufactured here in the only tractor production in the GDR.

The museum also houses 2 permanent art exhibitions with works by 50 artists from the region and presents technical and artistic themes and works in temporary exhibitions.

In the city area, the museum has created the "Historic Schönebeck Salt Trail", which runs between the Elbe and the Bad Salzelmen district.