Deutsches Hygiene-Museum, Dresden

This unique museum is not about cleanliness products as the name may suggest, but about the human body, its functions and how to stay healthy. The museum opened its doors to the public in 1930 and has remained popular among adult and children visitors since.

The German Hygiene Museum was the brain child of entrepreneur, Karl August Lingner, a Dresden based manufacturer of hygiene products, notably the Odol mouthwash. He established a public venue for healthcare education after the 1911 International Hygiene Exhibition was held in Dresden. The present building was constructed by Wilhelm Kreis as the venue for the 2nd International Hygiene Exhibition. During the Nazi era, the museum became an avenue for the propaganda of racial ideology and eugenic research. Large parts of the building were destroyed in 1945 during the WWII bombings. The government of GDR revived the museum as a center for public health information.

The Hygiene museum has over 45,000 exhibits promoting body awareness and living a healthy life. A well known object is the transparent model of a human being showing all the organs functioning inside. There are interesting interactive exhibits and games for visitors to play. The museum is also the venue of debates, discussions and concerts.

Visitors of all ages are welcome and school trips are arranged. Audio guides are available in many languages. There is a souvenir cum bookshop and a café that serves light meals and snacks during and after museum hours in the building.