Bauernhausmuseum Biebertal

About the museum

Hof Haina is a small hamlet of originally four, later five three-sided farmsteads in a side valley of the Bieberbach stream, first mentioned in records in 1324. The idea for the museum came from an old receipt book documenting rent payments from the farm residents to Königsberg Castle between 1798 and 1836. In 1971, while researching her family history, Gisela Kraft-Schneider traced the farm of her ancestors and found it threatened with demolition.

When the last tenants moved out in 1973, she bought the house together with her brother and parents and had it restored to its original condition. At the same time, she collected furniture, household appliances, and farm utensils from Hof Haina and the surrounding area until 2009 and made them accessible to the public. After her death in 2011, her children and a niece continued to run the house in her spirit, now as a nonprofit GmbH (limited company).

The collection shows parlors, bedrooms, and kitchens across several floors, with farmhouse furniture, ceramics, costumes, embroidery, a spinning wheel, a loom, and harvesting tools. One parlor commemorates the engraver Johann Georg Will, born in Biebertal, who lived in Paris from 1736. The tours also focus on the couple Christine Schneider and Johannes Dudenhöfer, who lived on the farm in the 19th century.

Highlights

• Farmhouse parlors, bedrooms, and kitchen from the 18th and 19th centuries
• Costumes, embroidery, spinning wheel, and historic loom
• Memorial room for engraver Johann Georg Will
• History of the couple Schneider and Dudenhöfer
• Located on the Elisabethpfad and the Kelten- und Römerpfad (Celtic and Roman Trail)

Founded

1973

Operated by

Bauernhausmuseum Hof Haina gGmbH

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Day of Open Monuments (2027: September 12, 11:00–16:00)

Prices per person for the tour (adults €3, children €1.50).

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• 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

The historic building is not accessible: narrow stairs, uneven floors, and raised door thresholds. Every room has seating.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly: not available

Special children's tours are available on request; mention this when registering. Strollers are hardly suitable because of the narrow stairs.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on the southwestern edge of Biebertal (district of Bieber), on Landesstraße 3286 toward Lahnau-Waldgirmes, about ten kilometers northwest of Gießen. It lies on the Elisabethpfad and the Kelten- und Römerpfad.

Amenities & dining

In summer, food and drinks brought along may be consumed in designated rooms. On open days, soup, cake, and drinks are available. Publications about the museum can be purchased on site.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit