Museum Schönholthausen
Volunteer-run local history museum in a half-timbered house in Finnentrop-Schönholthausen on village life, crafts, and farming around 1900.
About the museum
The impetus came from the 750th anniversary celebration of Schönholthausen in 1990: out of the preparations, the Heimatverein Schönholthausen (local heritage association) was founded in 1991, devoted to preserving local history and customs. When the oldest building in the village had to make way for a new building in 1992, inscribed beams were found during demolition; together with the timbers of the large barn door, they were entrusted to the association – the foundation for an exhibition of its own.
The association found rooms for it in a half-timbered house not far from the church, a former cow barn of the Melcher farm. Many villagers gradually contributed finds from attics, cellars, and chests, so that the roughly 120 square meters initially rented soon became too small. With the former hayloft, more space was added; today the museum covers about 260 square meters.
On display is how people in the countryside of the Sauerland lived and worked around 1900 and in the early 20th century: a living kitchen with a coal stove, equipment for dairy processing and home slaughtering, workshops of the shoemaker, carpenter, and blacksmith, and evidence of beekeeping, flax processing, and fieldwork. On the second floor, a village schoolroom, a bedroom, and a doctor's office of the 1930s have been set up. A separate area tells of emigration from the parish of Schönholthausen to America. The museum is run entirely by volunteers of the Heimatverein.
Highlights
- Living kitchen with coal stove in the style of around 1900
- Furnished workshops of the shoemaker, carpenter, and blacksmith
- Village schoolroom and doctor's office of the 1930s
- Exhibition area on emigration to America
- Patronal festival on the weekend after Assumption Day
Permanent exhibitions
- Dorfleben im Sauerland – A living kitchen, craft workshops, a classroom, and a doctor's office convey everyday life in Schönholthausen in the first half of the 20th century, complemented by farming and forestry equipment.
- Operated by
- Heimatverein Schönholthausen e.V.
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €2 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | €1 |
| Groups | –Visits for groups and school classes by arrangement. |
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
The exhibition rooms on the first floor are reached via one step.
Kids & families
The furnished village school and the workshops show children vividly how their great-grandparents lived; worksheets are available for elementary school classes.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
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
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Groups and school classes can register visits by arrangement. For elementary school classes, worksheets are available on the topic of grain harvesting then and now. |
