The stone building with the pointy roof on the central Market Square (Marktplatz) in Weikersheim is the Tauberländer Dorfmuseum, which is devoted to showing furnishings, equipment and tools that were used by rural people in this area in pre-industrial times. The museum is open on Saturday, Sunday and holiday afternoons from April through October. Admission as of 2019 costs three Euros for adults, two Euros for those who get a reduction and one Euro for children.
Bedroom and kitchen of an 18th century village household
Many of the items shown in the museum were made in the 18th and 19th centuries. They were rescued in the 1950s by a collector named Kurt Meider from barns and houses that were scheduled to be demolished and replaced by more modern buildings.
Collection of pre-electric irons
Before they had electricity, people used to iron their clothes and bedding by putting hot coals into these non-electric irons.
Harmonium
The museum has an old harmonium that was rescued from destruction more or less by accident. This is a kind of keyboard instrument that was popular all over Europe in the 19th and early 20th centuries because it was smaller and cheaper than a piano or organ, and easier to transport.
An old loom
This loom is one that was used for many years in a typical pre-industrial cottage-industry setting here in the Tauber Valley.
Washing utensils
This is the sort of equipment that we used to use to get ourselves clean, but only in places that didn’t have running water coming out of a faucet. (I once lived in such a place, but only for a few months.)
Exhibition on wine making
Wine making has a long tradition in the Tauber Valley. It was first mentioned in a written document in the year 803. Today the Tauber Valley is mainly a white wine region, dominated by Müller-Thurgau, but they also make Silvaner, Kerner and Bachus wines.
Traditional wine-making equipment
The museum in Weikersheim documents the local wine-growing tradition and displays the sort of equipment that was used in this region until quite recently.
GPS 49°28’50.92″ North; 9°53’51.24″ East.
Website: https://tauberlaender-dorfmuseum.de/
My photos in this post are from 2009 and 2019. I revised the text in 2019.
See more posts on Weikersheim, Germany.
I love this sort of museum – a bit cluttered, a bit quirky 🙂
You do find the most fascinating places! Thank you!
Thanks, Jill. I went to Weikersheim mainly for the operas (in 2003, 2005, 2009 and 2019), but found lots of other things to do there as well.
You seem to have a knack for finding fun things! I don’t get to your blog as often as I would like, but every time I do, I find something to make me smile!
Nice page Don! And it looks this is a great little museum! When I was young one of my friends had a harmonium at home, so I used to try and play on it. Not with much success though, but it was fun.
Thanks, Simone. The harmonium in the museum came from someone’s home, but even small churches used to have them sometimes, when they couldn’t afford an organ.
Very nice intro pic! Reminded me of Goslar in Lower Saxony. Thanks for this trip down memory lane, before industrial times. 🙂
Thanks Lou, good to hear from you.