The Penguin Museum in Cuxhaven: World record collection is now closing!

The Penguin Museum in Cuxhaven: World record collection is now closing!

The closure of the Penguin Museum in Cuxhaven marks the end of an impressive era. After 15 years of tireless dedication, the operators Birgit Berends and Stefan Kirchhoff want to close their doors and treat themselves to more free time. The museum will officially welcome its last visitors on November 2, 2024, and for good reason: the couple has worked a lot to make the unique museum a popular destination for penguin lovers from all over Germany.

The Penguin Museum was founded in 2009 as the first and only one of its kind in Germany. It presents a gigantic collection of over 26,000 penguin items on 130 square meters. Nord24 reports that around 4,000 exhibits are on permanent display, while the rest are housed in the couple's apartment and a warehouse. These include a wide variety of collectibles, from thimbles to puzzles to ties and even cigar bands.

The beginnings of a passion

The history of the museum began in the youth of Birgit Berends, who introduced collecting at the age of 18 with a plasticine figure named Pingu. Back in 2006, she set her first world record with 2,520 different penguin items, and together with her husband Kirchhoff, the collection has steadily expanded over the years. In 2021, the world record with 26,114 objects was officially confirmed by the German Record Institute. With this passion, they broke their own record five times and thus found real fame in the world of collectors.

The Museo appealed to visitors from near and far and became a popular destination in Lower Saxony. The combination of the impressive collection and the committed, volunteer support made the museum a very special place. The Kirchhoff couple have shared many stories and memories with their visitors over the years, which made the place particularly memorable. But after so many years of sacrifice in collecting work and commitment to the museum, the desire for more personal time disappeared.

A look at the future

The impending closure raises the question: What will happen to the unique penguin collection? T-Online reports that the couple is looking for a person who can continue to run the museum and the collection in the future. Anyone interested can contact the email address pinguinkolonie@gmx.net.

It's a shame that such a unique attraction will soon be history - the Penguin Museum was not only a meeting place, but also a testament to the enthusiasm for collecting. Until the closure, a few last penguin lovers will surely come to visit to experience the diversity of these fascinating birds once again.

Visit the Kreizeitung again for more information about the latest sales campaigns and further developments around the museum.