The Otto-Lilienthal Gedenkstätte (Otto Lilienthal Memorial) is located in Stölln, a village in the Brandenburg region of Germany, near the town of Zehdenick. This museum is dedicated to Otto Lilienthal, one of the pioneers of human flight and a key figure in the history of aviation. The memorial celebrates his life and groundbreaking work in aerodynamics, which laid the foundation for modern aviation.

Otto-Lilienthal Gedenkstätte

Am Gollenberg 10

14728 Gollenberg / OT Stoelln

Germany

www.otto-lilienthal.de

info@otto-lilienthal.de

+49 33875 32020

March

• Saturday – Sunday 11:00 – 16:00

April – October

• Tuesday – Sunday 10:00 – 17:00

November – February

• Closed

Admission fee

Gift shop.

Aircraft collection

DDR-SEG D-ESWN

Ilyushin Il-62 Zlin Z-37A

Otto-Lilienthal Gedenkstätte Key Attractions and Exhibits

1. Otto Lilienthal’s Life and Work
   • The museum offers a comprehensive overview of Lilienthal’s life, from his early interest in flight to his innovative glider designs and pioneering flights.
   • Exhibits highlight his contributions to the development of the principles of flight and his experiments with gliding.
   • Visitors can learn about Lilienthal’s experiments, which included over 2,000 successful flights with gliders, making him one of the first humans to achieve controlled, sustained flight.
2. Reconstructed Gliders
   • One of the main attractions of the memorial is a collection of replicas of Lilienthal’s gliders. These models, including his most famous “Derwitzer” glider, are displayed to demonstrate the technology and principles behind his designs.
   • The gliders are presented alongside detailed explanations of how they worked and how Lilienthal’s innovations influenced later developments in aviation.
3. Flight Demonstrations and Simulations
   • Interactive exhibits allow visitors to experience the principles of flight firsthand. Some of the exhibits simulate gliding, showing how Lilienthal tested and refined his gliders.
   • Periodically, the museum organizes glider demonstrations or workshops that offer a hands-on understanding of Lilienthal’s flight experiments.
4. Historical Context
   • The Otto-Lilienthal Gedenkstätte explores the historical context of Lilienthal’s work, including his rivalry and collaboration with other aviation pioneers such as the Wright brothers.
   • It covers his tragic fatal accident in 1896, which was a major setback for his work but also underscored the risks involved in the quest for flight.
5. The Lilienthal Hill
   • The memorial is situated near Lilienthal Hill, the location where Otto Lilienthal conducted many of his flight experiments. Visitors can climb the hill, which offers a beautiful view of the surrounding landscape, much as Lilienthal would have seen it during his pioneering flights.
   • On clear days, it’s possible to see models of the gliders and the original flight ramp used by Lilienthal to launch his gliders.
6. Multimedia Exhibits and Films
   • The Otto-Lilienthal Gedenkstätte features multimedia presentations and films about Otto Lilienthal’s life, his inventions, and his legacy in the field of aviation.
   • These films and exhibits give visitors a more in-depth understanding of his pioneering spirit and the technical challenges he faced.