The Hamburg Museum of Work is a museum in Hamburg-Barmbek. Its major theme is changes in work and living during the last 150 years. It examines and displays the social cultural and economic effects of industrialisation. The museum is an anchor point on the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH).
The museum was planned in the 1970s, and a site was obtained in 1980. In 1982 it took over the buildings of the former German: New-York Hamburger Gummi-Waaren Compagnie in Barmbek, these buildings dated from 1871. It put together a provisional display and opened that year. With a permanent workshop it was able to develop the themes and grow the collection. Construction started in 1992, and the first building, the boiler-house was inaugurated in 1994. Further conversions followed and permanent exhibition hall in the 'German: Haupthaus' opened on 5 January 1997. On 1 January 2008, the management of the museum passed to the German: Stiftung Historische Museen Hamburg.[1] The first director was Gernot Krankenhagen (1997–2004), followed by Lisa Kosok (2004–2008) and Kirsten Baumann (2009–2013). The current director is Rita Müller.[2]
Outside the museum is the cutting head of tunnel boring machine, TRUDE (German: '''T'''ief '''R'''unter '''U'''nter '''D'''ie '''E'''lbe), used in cutting the tunnels under the Elbe.