The history of our town and its people as documented in the Kelkheim Museum is interpreted as a story of farmers, craftsmen and citizens mainly in the 19th and 20th century, parallel to the industrialisation of the Rhine-Main area.

The economic structural basis of Kelkheim was mainly influenced by the development of a flourishing carpenter craftsmanship in the villages of this region since the mid 19th century.
The variety of products ranged from simple wooden articles of all sorts to highly sophisticated furniture, which made Kelkheim famous all over Germany as a “Furniture Town” (“Möbelstadt”).

The international significance of the Kelkheim furniture industry reached its peak productive period during the mid 1950s.
Some Kelkheim furniture companies became renowned internationally, receiving spectacular orders from overseas in the Fifties of the previous century. The transition to modern output-oriented production based on computer controlled equipment has led to a dramatic change in the local furniture industry, forcing many manufacturers to close down.

Today, Kelkheim’s furniture industry relies upon its reputation of high quality, expensive custom made furniture, entire interior décor pieces, and the competent consultation for which the city is known.