The small town of Wildeshausen lies between Oldenburg and Bremen in Northern Germany. In Prehistory this region was an important centre for the Funnel Beaker Culture and the area is full of hunebeds, passage graves and burial mounds. Among the most famous monuments around Wildeshausen are the Visbek Bride, the Visbek Bridegroom and the Pestrup Burial Ground, which contains more than 500 tumuli or burial mounds. These ancient structures all form part of the Route of Megalithic Culture.
In 2025 the Prehistoric Centre in Wildeshausen (Urgeschichtliches Zentrum Wildeshausen) opened its doors to the public. This modest museum on the edge of the town centre throws light on the history of the region, with a special focus on these ancient monuments. The museum is attractively laid out and begins, just like the Hunebed Centre in Borger, with an introductory video. Although the video is extremely well done, it struck me that some of the details did not conform to the latest scientific ideas.
Well-designed information panels tell the story of the region and the Funnel Beaker Culture, split into themes such as archaeological finds, the monuments and the human environment. Keen observers will notice that the panels carry photos of the rebuilt ancient farmhouses in the Prehistoric Park at the Hunedbed Centre.
In addition to the permanent exhibition about the prehistory of Wildeshausen, the museum will also present changing temporary exhibitions.
The Urgeschichtliches Zentrum Wildeshausen is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 12pm to 5pm. Entry costs € 4.50 for adults and € 3.00 for children. The address is Huntestraße 47, D–27793 Wildeshausen.
