The idea of building a local history museum in Eschelbronn is almost as old as the local history and tourist association (Heimat- und Verkehrsverein) itself. In the years after 1956, when the first local chronicle "Eschelbronn - your home" was being published, the idea matured. The museum founded by Helmut Förster in Epfenbach and the local history museum in Lobenfeld, which was created by Heinrich Neudeck served as archetypes. The main contentual focus of the museum is on the carpentry trade, but other trades that were closely associated with the carpenter of the past are also represented, such as the metalworking trade, the painter, turner, saddler, shoemaker, tailor, book printer, Wagner, cooper or carpenter. In the basement of the old recreation hall, the Heimat- und Verkehrsverein has set up a historic smithy with southern Germany's largest collection of hammers. Around 500 hammers can be seen there. With the wood technology department of the Friedrich-Hecker-Schule in Sinsheim, a successful cooperation was achieved over time. Year after year, apprentices in carpentry and electrical trades were enthusiastic about various projects for the preservation and conservation of cultural assets during their apprenticeship. They made a significant contribution to museum work with voluntary hours of work. Many craft businesses encountered the museum with good response. From an initial idea this resulted in a successful model that has continued to this day and is unrivaled in its local surroundings: the cooperation between school, company and club. A milestone in the history of the museum, which is still growing, was the application in the "Exemplary Museum" competition of the Heimatpflege work group of the Karlsruhe Regional Council in autumn 2010. The museum and its initiators received a sponsorship award endowed with € 1500, which was expressly aimed at the continuation of the museum's educational activities, which in the eyes of the jury under the direction of Dr. Wolfram Metzger from Stutensee are pioneering. The initiators of the Heimat- und Verkehrsverein were honored with their efforts to show the history and function of furniture production in the old schoolhouse, which has shaped the village over the years. The sponsorship award was presented in spring 2011 by District President Dr. Rudolf Kühner handed over to an Eschelbronn delegation on the occasion of the home days in Bühl, Baden. A total of 29 museums from the Karlsruhe district took part in this competition, which is organized every four years for non-state museums with special voluntary commitment, and the Eschelbronn Museum was the only prize winner from the Rhein-Neckar district. Also in spring 2011 a successful cooperation with the neighboring homeland friends from Neidenstein, Epfenbach and Meckesheim began. The highlight of this cooperation is the presentation of the museums with their different thematic focuses at the Mannheim May Market in 2012. The museum is generally open on weekends. Any openings beyond this will be published in the daily press. If you are interested, guided museum tours for groups can be requested at any time from the chairman of the Heimat- und Verkehrsverein Rainer Heilmann (Tel. 06226-970016) or from Hans-Peter Miesel (Tel. 06226-40389).
