Auerbergmuseum im Kiebelehaus

About the museum

The Auerbergmuseum is housed in the Kiebelehaus, a listed Allgäu post-and-plank building from the early 18th century in the middle of Bernbeuren. Like most houses in the village, it was a craftsman's house with a small farm; a cooper (Kiebler) once worked here. After World War II the building, then the municipal hall, served as housing for refugees and fell increasingly into disrepair.

The municipality and the Museumsverein Bernbeuren, founded in 1997, jointly developed a new concept for its use. From 2006 the house was renovated and furnished, with more than 100 helpers contributing around 8,000 hours of their own labor, a good two thirds of them association members. The museum opened on May 17, 2009; in 2011 it received a Bavarian state prize.

On about 400 square meters and three floors, the exhibition tells the settlement history around the Auerberg in four themes: the early imperial Roman settlement on the summit, regarded as the oldest town-like Roman settlement in Bavaria; the history of the village of Bernbeuren; the change in agriculture from flax and grain cultivation to grassland farming; and timber construction from the Roman strip house to the Kiebelehaus itself. The Via Damasia cultural trail connects the museum with the Auerberg.

Highlights

• Finds, models, and films on the Roman settlement on the Auerberg
• Replica of a Roman catapult from the weapons workshop
• Historic bathhouse room and grocery shop
• Farmhouse bedroom and kitchen with listening stations in dialect
• Film on the milk cable car and the change from the blue to the green Allgäu

Permanent exhibitions

• Der Berg – Die Römer auf dem Auerberg – Archaeological investigation of the early imperial settlement: ramparts, timber buildings, weapon production, pottery, and food waste from the latrine.
• Das Dorf und das Land – Nine stations on the history of Bernbeuren and the change in agriculture from grain and flax cultivation to dairy farming in the 19th and 20th centuries.
• Das Haus – Römisches Streifenhaus und Allgäuer Ständerbohlenbau – The Kiebelehaus itself as the largest exhibit, with living rooms and digital reconstructions of Roman timber buildings.

Founded

2009

Operated by

Gemeinde Bernbeuren mit dem Museumsverein Bernbeuren e.V.

Admission & discounts

Free admission with the KönigsCard.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The historic house is not wheelchair-accessible; assistance dogs are welcome.

Kids & families

School classes explore the museum after the tour with a quiz. Listening and film stations as well as a comic fairy tale about Allgäu cheese liven up the tour.

Getting there & parking

The museum stands at a fork in the road in the village center of Bernbeuren. The Via Damasia cultural trail, about four kilometers long, leads from the museum up to the former Roman settlement on the Auerberg.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit