The reason is the withdrawal of support from the municipal housing company, which provides the premises. The city administration has now put the financial funding on the agenda of a city council meeting. If this funding also falls through, the ZCOM foundation would have to cease operations.
The foundation has been running the museum since 2017 and depends on subsidies. Instead of the planned 20,000 to 25,000 visitors per year, only around 10,000 paying guests come. At the end of 2026, the housing company had already cut its annual subsidy of 110,000 euros. The city magazine “Hoyerswerda lebt” reports that without new funding, only a “white knight” could prevent the closure.
ZCOM displays historic Zuse computers such as the Z11, Z22, Z22r, Z23, and Z25, as well as numerous Robotron exhibits from East German computing technology. Originally opened in 1995 as a small exhibition on the occasion of Konrad Zuse becoming an honorary citizen, the museum had to close in 2013 and reopened in 2017 with support from the housing company in larger premises. The museum also provides information about computer pioneer Nikolaus Joachim Lehmann, who was born in Lusatia.
Source: www.heise.de
