Heimatmuseum Rothrist
Local museum in the “Miescherheimet” farmhouse with everyday life in the 19th century, the mass emigration of 1855 and a coach house with tools and equipment.
No sound? Check your device’s silent switch.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Heimatmuseum Rothrist goes back to the village week of 1967: instead of holding a flea market with donated items, villager Rolf Hofer proposed building a museum of village history from these objects. The municipal council supported the idea, a museum committee was quickly formed, and by the village week a small exhibition was already on show in the caretaker’s flat of the Dörfli schoolhouse.
The museum grew, moved from the schoolhouse to the Lässerhaus and the Zehntenhaus, and finally, thanks to a bequest from Trudi Miescher, found its present home in the “Miescherheimet”, an 18th-century farmhouse, in 2007. The collection now comprises several thousand objects, mostly donations.
On two floors, furnished rooms show life in the 19th and early 20th centuries, with housework, home-based work and early schooling. In the attic, the exhibition recalls the largest mass emigration ever organised by a Swiss municipality: on 28 February 1855, 305 people, around 12 percent of the population, left Rothrist for America. In the restored coach house next door, agricultural and trade tools and equipment are displayed on three floors. The theme of industrialisation is gradually being added as a third focus.
Highlights
- “Miescherheimet” farmhouse from the 18th century
- Exhibition on the mass emigration to America in 1855
- Furnished rooms on everyday life in the 19th and 20th centuries
- Coach house with agricultural and trade tools and equipment
- Audio guides via your own mobile phone
Permanent exhibitions
- Alltag im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert – On two floors of the farmhouse, originally furnished rooms show housework, home-based work and the beginnings of schooling.
- Auswanderungsgeschichte Rothrist – The attic tells the story of the mass emigration of 28 February 1855, when 305 people from Rothrist set off for America.
- Die Remise – In the restored coach house, agricultural equipment and the tools of various trades are displayed on several floors.
- Founded
- 1967
- Operated by
- Einwohnergemeinde Rothrist
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Admission is free; a voluntary contribution to the donation box is welcome.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By car
Parking available
A few parking spaces directly at the museum.
Amenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant: not available
Cafeteria with homemade cakes on open Sundays.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
A multipurpose room in the museum can be rented, ideally in combination with a tour.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Three themed tours can be accessed on your own mobile phone (“Haus und Hof”, “Feld und Wiese”, “Raum und Zeit”). Private tours last about one hour and cost CHF 100 per guide (up to 12 people). Tours for Rothrist schools are free; schools from outside pay CHF 25 per hour and guide (up to 12 children). |
