Visit the Musée de la Batellerie in Offendorf – Living history!

My summary

What is a boatman?

What is a boatman? I confess I didn’t know before the visit. I understood the link with boats (after all!) but not the difference with sailors, for example. In fact, a “batelier”, also known as a “marinier”, is a professional whose job is to pilot a boat navigating inland waterways (rivers, canals and streams). It’s a river version of a truck driver, in fact!

The boatmaster’s trade was highly developed in France until the mid-to-late 20th century, when the public authorities decided to stop investing in river transport in favor of rail and road transport… But we’re coming back to it now because of the ecological benefits of this type of transport!

Why Offendorf?

The history of this small village may come as a surprise, but Offendorf was the largest village of boatmen in eastern France, and even one of the largest in France (behind Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, the capital of the Batellerie). It reached its peak in the 1960s, when boatmen’s families accounted for a third of the village’s population. Incredible, isn’t it?

Visit the barge museum

The museum, housed in a barge (which arrived here by road, otherwise it wouldn’t have fit!), was created by CABRO (Cercle Amical des Bateliers Réunis d’Offendorf), whose volunteers continue to run it.

Its aim is to raise awareness of the history of inland waterway transport, which is an integral part of the history not only of this Rhine city but also of France! This is one of the aspects I really appreciated during the visit: you discover the history of families, of a profession, but you also take a step back to question certain choices made at one time to favor one type of transport or another, choices which still have an impact today (and which we come back to in part…).

Through its collection of objects, documents and models, a visit to the museum allows you to discover the boatman’s trade, its history, its economy and the daily life of the families who practiced it. It’s said that boatmen were passed down from father to son, but in fact women played a very important role too: it was actually a couple’s trade, since we all lived together on the barge, sharing the chores. My guide Raymond told me that the women worked even harder, as they also looked after the children on top of everything else 😉

There are explanatory panels, but also QR codes to scan in order to benefit from the explanations of an audioguide, and above all… Former boatmen act as guides, sharing their knowledge and anecdotes with visitors. I really enjoyed talking to Raymond and Viviane about life on their respective barges when they were sailing. You learn a lot, it’s lively and you’re not afraid to ask questions, even if some of them are a bit naive!

In addition to a visit to the ship’s hold (now the heart of the museum), you’ll discover the engine room, as well as the boatmen’s living quarters. Space in the dwelling was limited, as every square meter corresponded to an area not used for transporting merchandise!

Combined tour ideas

For a great day out, here are a few ideas for visits and activities in the Rhineland that you can easily combine:

• Visit the Gambsheim fish pass
• Cycling in the Rhineland. You’ll find several route ideas here.
• Lunch at Offendorf marina