The Zuse Computer Museum (ZCOM) in Hoyerswerda, Germany, faces potential closure at the end of 2026 due to lack of financial support. The museum’s future depends on a decision by the city council regarding continued subsidies, according to reporting from the local magazine “Hoyerswerda lebt.”
The crisis stems from the municipal housing company’s withdrawal of support. At the end of 2026, the housing company cut its annual subsidy of 110,000 euros, which had provided both funding and premises for the museum since its 2017 reopening. Without alternative funding, the ZCOM Foundation, which has operated the museum since 2017, will be forced to close unless what the city magazine describes as a “white knight” investor emerges.
The museum’s financial difficulties are compounded by visitor numbers falling short of projections. The ZCOM attracts around 10,000 paying visitors annually, significantly below the planned 20,000 to 25,000 visitors per year that would be needed for sustainable operations.
The ZCOM’s collection includes several historically significant computers, including Zuse machines (models Z11, Z22, Z22r, Z23, and Z25) and numerous Robotron exhibits representing East German computing technology. Many of these machines were used in the “Energy City Hoyerswerda” for open-cast mining operations. The museum also features information about computer pioneer Nikolaus Joachim Lehmann, who was born in Lusatia.
The museum’s history in Hoyerswerda dates back further than its 2017 opening. The original ZCOM was established in 1995 as a small exhibition when computer pioneer Konrad Zuse received honorary citizenship from the city. That early iteration closed in 2013 before being revived in expanded form in 2017, thanks to the housing company’s support.
With the city council set to consider whether to maintain financial backing, the museum now awaits a decision that will determine whether this repository of computing history continues operating or joins the original exhibition in closure.
Key facts
- The ZCOM could close by end of 2026 after the municipal housing company cut its 110,000-euro annual subsidy
- The museum attracts around 10,000 paying visitors yearly, below the planned 20,000-25,000
- The collection includes Zuse computers (Z11, Z22, Z22r, Z23, Z25) and Robotron exhibits from East German computing
- The museum reopened in 2017 after closing in 2013; the original exhibition was established in 1995