Karlstein Energy Museum Days

A Museum in the Shadow of Germany's First Nuclear Power Plant

Karlstein am Main in the Bavarian district of Aschaffenburg is home to an extraordinary museum: Located right next to the site of the Kahl experimental nuclear power plant (VAK), Germany's first commercially operated nuclear power facility, is the Karlstein Energy Museum. It is housed in the so-called Faberhaus — the former VAK information centre, named after Dr. Peter Faber, head of chemistry at VAK. The Energy Museum Days open their doors to the general public once a year.

What Visitors Can Expect

The programme is designed by former VAK employees and retirees who share their own stories. Over three days, visitors can participate in guided tours and attend lectures on energy history, gas turbine technology, battery innovations, VAK decommissioning, and the Großwelzheim steam-cooled heavy water reactor. Demonstrations, including on a gas turbine simulator, make technology tangible.

Energy Lab for Youth

A special focus is placed on the ENERGY Lab: Modules on frequency amplifiers, electric motors, renewable energy systems, and oscilloscope measurements invite young people and curious adults to participate. The organisers — all volunteers — see the museum not as a monument to the past, but as a place of learning for the energy future.

From Reactor to Hydrogen

The thematic range extends from lignite mining and nuclear power (VAK was founded in 1958 and shut down in 1985) to modern topics such as hydrogen and battery technology. Exhibits include the main reactor control panel, original VAK educational charts, turbine rotors from VAK and HDR, and inactive models of the reactor internals.