The Visible Storage

Accessible collections in the Visible Storage “Übermaxx”

The first of its kind in Europe: In 1999, the Übersee-Museum inaugurated as the first museum in Europe the Visible Storage “Übermaxx”. With its exhibit depot, the museum makes a large share of its collection publicly accessible in this manner. The exhibit depot is located next to the Übersee-Museum and in the same building as the Cinemaxx cinema. The Visible Storage “Übermaxx” houses a large part of the museum’s 1.2 million objects. On display across different storeys, visitors will be able to find everything from everyday objects right up to very strange exhibits –these include a fish-skin anorak and the flightless Kakapo parrot to the silverware of the North-German Lloyd or Linné’s two-toed sloth.

With the purpose of creating a stronger connection between the Übermaxx exhibit depot and the main building, in addition to facilitating visitors’ access to the collection, the two buildings were connected with a bridge in 2008, with financial support of the Waldemar Koch foundation. Themed tours and an interactive search game for children guide visitors through the variety of exhibits, which are arranged and displayed according to the subject areas of ethnology, natural history and trade.

A free media guide is available for the exhibit depot. You can use it during your visit with free wifi in the museum or online:

Online-Mediaguide to the Visible Storage “Übermaxx”

You can discover the visible storage virtually in a 3D tour:

3D tour of the visible storage
Bridge with glass side walls, leading from the museum to the "Übermaxx"
By bridge the visitors go to the Visible Storage “Übermaxx” | CC BY-SA 4.0 Übersee-Museum Bremen, foto: Matthias Haase
Holzkästen mit Pflanzen

Herausziehen und entdecken: Herbarbelege im Übermaxx | CC BY-SA 4.0 Übersee-Museum Bremen, Foto: Matthias Haase

hölzerne Schiffe in einer Vitrine, im Hintergrund mehr Schiffe in Vitrinen

Geschützt und doch zugänglich: Bootsmodelle aus Asien | CC BY-SA 4.0 Übersee-Museum Bremen, Foto: Matthias Haase

Strohschuhe in einer Vitrine

Für Forschung und Nachwelt bewahrt: Schuhe aus Asien | CC BY-SA 4.0 Übersee-Museum Bremen, Foto: Matthias Haase

Nahaufnahme eines Helmes mit Applikationen aus Messing sowie rot eingefärbtem Haar an der Spitze, im Hintergrund weitere Kopfbedeckungen

Details aus der Nähe betrachten: Helm aus Korea | CC BY-SA 4.0 Übersee-Museum Bremen, Foto: Volker Beinhorn

Geöffnete Schublade in der diverse Käfer mit Beschriftung zu sehen sind.

Artenvielfalt in Schubladen: Käfer aus der naturkundlichen Sammlung | CC BY-SA 4.0 Übersee-Museum Bremen, Foto: Volker Beinhorn