XtraBlatt Issue 02-2020

INFORM
Museum – for many, the term
indicates something a little dry
at first, and perhaps boring. But here in
Spelle, the Krone Museum is nothing of the
sort! With fascinating exhibits, appealing
presentations and clear explanations via
multimedia technology, history can in fact
be very exciting. Also particularly for younger
folk. “After all, tradition and history don’t
mean worshipping the ashes but instead,
passing on the blazing torch. In other words,
those who know nothing about the past
cannot understand the present, nor can
they create the future. This wisdom from
the former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl
applies not only to politics, it’s right for all
fields of life. For instance, for the Krone
Group and its history of 114 years. This is
why it’s up to older folk like us to pass on
our knowledge and, with help from younger
generations, to prepare it in such a way that
the information ensures understanding
across the generations”, explains Walter
Krone, cousin of Dr Bernard Krone and thus
member of the third family generation since
the firm’s founding in 1906. Walter Krone
worked in the family concern for some 40
years, initially in the machinery factory then,
from 1977 to 2003, as managing director of
the Krone trading division “Landmaschinen
Vertrieb Dienstleistungen Bernard Krone”,
abbreviated as LVD.
He didn’t hesitate when his cousin Bernard
asked him to coordinate the “Project Museum”
and the associated working group. In
2015 the LVD moved into a new building
in the south of Spelle and soon afterwards
the tradition-steeped meeting house in the
community’s centre, parts of which stretch
right back to the beginnings of the factory,
was reassigned as museum with numerous
exhibits moved-in. “Alone the sight of the
numerous machines and implements under
that roof was immediately impressive, representing
a first big step forward”, recalls
Walter Krone. “But it soon became clear
to us: this alone was not enough. For the
right effect, a completely different concept
was needed. And this is what we’ve been
working on intensively since 2017.”
“We” in this association includes the
working group of around 20 people and
comprising Krone family members, representatives
of external services and a
number of machinery factory colleagues,
retired or still employed. “Such a mix of
different experiences and competences was
very enriching for the project, just as for me
personally”, he remembers. By February
2020 everything had been completed. The
“new” museum was ready for opening –
and then came corona. “That was certainly
disappointing because we had all looked
forward to a wonderful opening, and to the
reactions from as many visitors as possible”,
says Walter Krone.
INSPIRING
However, he and especially his honorary
helpers from a circle of former colleagues
including Franz Feismann, Georg Holterhues
and Josef Börger, did not allow themselves
to become discouraged. From April onwards,
guided tours have indeed welcomed regular
visits. After advance registration they come
in small groups of all ages under compliance
of full precautionary measures. The
groups learn all about the exhibition and
have been – as hoped – deeply impressed.
“Especially with the slightly older visitors,
many of whom often know exhibits from
their own experience, the discussions that
develop become so animated that a guided
tour planned for two hours duration quickly
runs to three hours and even more”, smiles
Walter Krone. “But the younger visitors also
show great interest when the context of
respective exhibits is graphically explained.”
Apropos explaining. Here it’s sometimes
amazing how apparently self-evident things
cause great wonder. Walter Krone speaks of
the short films shown at the beginning of
each visit. Among the subjects is machinery
from the present company range with their
respective applications. “Particularly those
with no, or at least no close, relationship
to agriculture often don’t know anything
about the basic work being carried out – for
instance in harvesting forage. So, at the end
of the films we can get amazed reactions
such as: ‘At last, I understand what these
machines really do’. Often, applause breaks
out at this point – which is very welcome
indeed”, laughs Walter Krone. Similarly, he
takes great interest in the visiting school
classes. After all, during their guided tours,
many children learn about working methods
with tools they are seeing for the first
time in their life.
On show in Spelle: the world’s
only working example of the
Lanz Landbaumotor with
integrated rotary cultivator.
Among the highlights
in the museum: a huge
collection of historical
tractors.
Important in the museum’s conception, he
continues, is the interesting mixture of differing
experience dimensions – modern and
from the past, general contemporary and
personal family histories, real exhibition
objects and virtual presentations. Thus, we
can visit the office of the second Bernard
Krone, as well as see household utensils
from the 1950s and 60s. “After all, not only
the machinery factory and the trading
business belonged to the concern, there was
a hotel too – even a household goods shop
run by Dr Krone’s mother, Gertrud. Here, for
instance, came many folk from the region
before they got married, perhaps to buy
crockery with their dowries, and seeking
her advice in Spelle,” he relates.
UNIQUE
The great attraction of the exhibition is –
how could it be other – the machinery. To
this belongs all the machines ever built by
Krone, including prototypes that never went
into series production. Figuring among the
highlights are also the innumerable old
timers, sometimes extreme rarities to be
seen nowhere else. As one example from
many, Walter Krone names the 1917 produced
Lanz Landbaumotor with integrated
rotary soil cultivator. He says this is the only
functioning example worldwide. Another
One hundred years ago a the well-known nickname for the smallest Hanomag 2/10 car was “Kommissbrot”:
its main components jokingly referred to as “2 kg of tin and a lick of paint”.
rarity is one of the first John Deere combine
harvesters, from 1940. The precisely
restored model in the museum is the only
example of this type in Europe.
These two machines count among Walter
Krone’s personal favourites. “In fact, I actually
have seven favourite highlights here.
My, one can say, BiG 7 – because, as is well
known, we have a thing about BiG in Krone.”
The other five include a six-furrow motor
plough and a very old mower cutterbar,
the latter as synonym for the massive importance
of mechanisation in agriculture.
The cutaway model of a threshing machine
from Ködel & Böhm is also well up on his
BiG 7 list, as is a hand-powered winnower
from the 19th century with hand-carved
cogwheels. Last but not least is one of the
first Hanomag serial tractors, of which the
LVD sold hundreds in its day. “But in reality,
most impressive to me is the collection as
a whole, along with the fact that, working
together, we have succeeded in presenting
everything so well in the Krone Museum.
Now it’s really good.” «
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