Museum KulturLand Ries

About the museum

The museum uses farm buildings of Maihingen Monastery, founded in 1472, which passed to the House of Oettingen-Wallerstein after secularization in 1802/03. Beer was brewed in the brewhouse until 1935, after which it fell into disrepair. From the late 1960s, the Nördlingen agricultural school and the Maihingen farmer Franz Zekl collected farm equipment; in 1973 the association Rieser Bauernmuseum was founded and renovated the brewhouse until 1984.

The Rieser Bauernmuseum opened in 1984, and a year later the Swabia district took over as operator, with the Donau-Ries district contributing to the costs. It was one of three district museums planned under the Swabian museum program of 1980. In 1989 the district acquired the monastery farm buildings and opened the exhibition on the transformation of Ries agriculture there in 1998.

After the conversion of the brewhouse, the permanent exhibition "300 Jahre Alltagskultur im Ries" (300 Years of Everyday Culture in the Ries) opened in 2015 on four floors; at the same time the museum received its present name. On about 2,200 square meters, it shows living, clothing, consumption, medicine, and childhood as well as agriculture between 1800 and 1950. A museum garden with a bee garden, a museum field, and festivals such as the Harvest Festival (Schnitterfest) and Potato Festival complement the offering; in the neighboring monastery mill, the friends' association KulturLand Ries runs a mill museum.

Highlights

• Grocery store and dairy shop from the 1920s with original furnishings
• Doctor's, dentist's, and hairdresser's rooms of the 1950s
• Agriculture in transition from the cow team to the tractor
• Bee garden with three living bee colonies
• Museum festivals with historical fieldwork on the museum field

Permanent exhibitions

• 300 Jahre Alltagskultur im Ries – On four floors of the brewhouse: living and household, clothing, goods and advertising, medicine and childhood – with a grocery store, doctor's office, and hair salon.
• Rieser Landwirtschaft im Wandel 1800–1950 – In the monastery farm buildings: the path from manual labor and draft animals to mechanization, especially using the example of grain farming.
• Bienen-Garten – Freely accessible exhibition in the museum garden about the way of life and importance of the honeybee, with three bee colonies (mid-April to mid-October).

Founded

1984

Operated by

Bezirk Schwaben

Director

Conny Zeitler

Admission & discounts

Admission applies to all buildings and all permanent and special exhibitions. Free admission is also available to holders of the TouristCard of the city of Nördlingen and of the volunteer card (Ehrenamtskarte), as well as members of KulturLand Ries e.V., the Bavarian State Association for Heritage Preservation (Bayerischer Landesverein für Heimatpflege), ICOM, DMB, and the Federal Association of Museum Education. Group tours (10 or more people) cost an additional €2 (60 minutes) or €3 (90 minutes) per adult; children pay half.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• 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 monastery farm buildings and brewhouse are accessible by elevator; the exception in the brewhouse is the mezzanine with the childhood department. Accessible restrooms in the monastery farm buildings and in the public restroom at the monastery wall near the brewhouse. Seating in all buildings as well as portable folding stools with standing-up aid. The museum app can be used with screen readers.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Kids’ birthday parties

Children's texts and the museum goose Marie accompany visitors through the everyday culture exhibition; marked hands-on stations in both buildings. Strollers are allowed in the exhibitions; baby changing areas in the brewhouse and in the monastery farm buildings. Children's birthday parties (max. 12 children, 3 hours, €90) except on Sundays and public holidays; holiday programs and family activity days.

Getting there & parking

Via the B 25 (turn toward Maihingen in Marktoffingen or Wallerstein) or the B 466 (turn off at Dürrenzimmern).

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

Hot and cold drinks in the foyer of the monastery farm buildings; food you bring yourself may be consumed in the foyer and in the outdoor area. Free Wi-Fi in both exhibition buildings and in the museum garden. Nearest place to eat: Gasthaus zur Sonne in Maihingen.

Events & venue rental

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

Plan your visit