Showcasing an impressive range of armored fighting vehicles, the German Tank Museum is situated at the Munster Training Area. Its collection evolved from the Bundeswehr instructional school for training officers, with its tanks, military vehicles, weapons, uniforms and decorations now open to the public.
Witness tanks once belonging to the East German military and Wehrmacht vehi-cles from World War II, as well as tanks used by the British, United States and Soviet Red armies. More recent tanks on display include those of the Israeli Merkava, with many of the vehicles having been lovingly restored to their original conditions by the museum’s team of experts.
Highlights of the German Tank Museum include a replica of an A7V German First World War tank and an armored police vehicle from the Weimar Republic era, as well as one of only two 'Assault Tiger” tanks still in existence. Step inside a West German Leopard 1 tank and into its turret, get up close to a Cold War Kanonenjagdpanzer and see the collaborative efforts between the American and West German forces that created the MBT-70 battle tank.
The museum is designed into four thematic “Elements of War”, including the “Iron” path where small arms and ammunition from the 17th century are dis-played to detail the history of tank technology. In the “Textile” path, uniforms dating to the late 19th century explore the social history of tank warfare, while the “Gold” path displays medals and decorations with a focus on cultural history. The “Wood” path features war-inspired toys from the 20th and 21st centuries, while the life and death of military theorist Erwin Rommel is explored in a display centering around his death mask.