Reactive dividing wall columns (RDWC) are a highly integrated column type. The coupling of a reactive distillation and a dividing wall column leads to complex interactions between vapor-liquid mass transfer, chemical kinetics and component split around the dividing wall. In simulation studies such interactions have been shown to lead to complex dynamics and the occurrence of multiple steady states. However, experimental investigations are still missing to verify the theoretical findings. In this work the first comprehensive experimental study of the dynamic behavior of RDWCs is presented. The reference system of enzymatic catalyzed butyl acetate transesterification with hexanol has been employed to investigate the start-up and open loop behavior under different operating conditions. Two different start-up strategies are tested and compared. The experiments demonstrate the reliable and secure start-up and stable operation of a RDWC. Additionally, a developed rigorous dynamic RDWC model is presented that considers the dynamic influence on the vapor distribution in the dividing wall section. A detailed model validation is carried out using the obtained experimental data. The comparison of simulation results and experimental values show good agreement over a wide range of operating conditions. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.