Burgenländisches Geschichte(n)haus
Museum in the border village of Bildein on the history of Burgenland since 1921, run in six rooms by eyewitnesses, with a border experience trail.
No sound? Check your device’s silent switch.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Geschichte(n)haus is located in the border village of Bildein in southern Burgenland and is run by the cultural association Grenzgänger Bildein. It tells the history of Austria's youngest federal state from its incorporation in 1921 to the recent past and shows how political decisions have affected the everyday lives of people in the border region. Eyewitness accounts, integrated into the exhibition via listening stations and text panels, are particularly important.
Six rooms lead chronologically through the eras: the entrance room deals with borders as well as traditional costumes and folk songs of Burgenland's ethnic groups. Next come the creation of Burgenland after the First World War including the Ödenburg (Sopron) plebiscite and emigration, the years of reconstruction with smuggling and political escalation, the Nazi era, the post-war period with the Iron Curtain and the 1956 Hungarian Uprising, and finally the period since 1990 with EU accession and border security.
On weekends and public holidays, volunteer “Geschichtenhaus-Damen” (story-house ladies) accompany guests and tell stories from their own experience. In display cases (“Tastkino”, touch cinema), children can feel objects by touch. The museum includes the Grenzerfahrungsweg (border experience trail), about five kilometres long, which leads from the village square to the border on the Pinka; the museum can also be explored online, room by room.
Highlights
- Six rooms on the history of Burgenland from 1921
- Eyewitnesses as hosts on weekends and public holidays
- Touch cinema and listening stations for children and adults
- Border experience trail (approx. 5 km) with bunker, trench and border bridge
- Virtual tour of all rooms
Permanent exhibition
- Burgenländisches Geschichte(n)haus – Dauerausstellung – Six rooms on the history of Burgenland from 1921 to the present, with eyewitness interviews, objects and listening stations.
- Operated by
- Kulturverein Grenzgänger Bildein
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5Children aged 6 to 15, people with disabilities, apprentices, school pupils, students, seniors, military and civilian service personnel |
| Children & teens | €5free up to age 5 · Reduction for children aged 6 to 15 |
| Seniors | €5 |
| Visitors with disabilities | €5 |
| Students & apprentices | €5 |
| Groups (10+ people) | €8 per personAdmission with guided tour per person (groups of 10 or more); for smaller groups a guided-tour flat rate of €18 per group |
| Border experience trail with guided tour (groups of 10 or more, per person) | €5For fewer than 10 people, flat rate of €30 per group |
| Combination: museum tour and border experience trail (groups of 10 or more, per person) | €10 |
Prices according to the association's 2021 price list: admission without guided tour €6 per person, reduction €1 per person.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
According to the association, the border experience trail is largely accessible; an escort is recommended for wheelchair users. No information is available on the museum building.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|
- Hands-on stations
According to the website, the border experience trail is designed especially for families with children; in the museum there are “Tastkino” display cases for guessing objects by touch, and a toy display case on more recent times.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
According to the website, the village square of Bildein has an inn, a wine archive, a shop and toilets.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Information via headphones and panels in all rooms; guided tours for groups by registration (groups of 10 or more €8 with guided tour, for smaller groups flat rate of €18). The museum can also be visited virtually, room by room. |
