Museum Lindwurm

About the museum

The Lindwurm is one of the oldest buildings in Stein am Rhein. The house was built in the Middle Ages, in 1279, and was altered several times over the centuries. The Empire-style façade with pilasters and a Greek gable was created in 1819/1820 under the owner Johan Conrad Arbenz and is the only one of its kind to survive in the town. The rear building was added in 1712 as a stable and farm building; the two houses are connected by wooden galleries typical of Stein am Rhein.

In the mid-19th century Johann Jakob Gnehm and Maria Gnehm Gräflein bought the house. Their grandson and granddaughter, Jakob and Emma Windler, lived there until their deaths. Emma Windler wished for her grandparents' house to be preserved as a living museum, and so the Jakob and Emma Windler Foundation was established in 1989 and still runs the museum today.

On around 1,500 square metres and four floors, the museum shows the everyday life of an affluent middle-class family of the Biedermeier period between about 1815 and 1848. The family quarters, parlour, pantry cellar and attic look as if the house were still lived in. The rear building contains stables, a barn, a workshop, the farmhand's sparse chamber and the granary. A play room invites visitors to try on clothes and try out historical games.

Highlights

• Biedermeier-era living museum on four floors
• Rear building with stable, barn and workshop
• Play room with clothes and historical games to try on and try out
• Empire façade of 1819/1820
• Free admission

Permanent exhibition

• Wohnen und Arbeiten im 19. Jahrhundert – Authentically furnished front and rear buildings with the living quarters of a Biedermeier-era middle-class family, farming, a workshop and a play room.

Operated by

Jakob und Emma Windler-Stiftung

Director

Helga Sandl

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to the museum is free. Guided tours and workshops are chargeable (see Visit).

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: not available
• 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

Owing to the historic fabric of the building, the museum is not barrier-free: the exhibition extends over two houses of four storeys each, with several staircases, thresholds and uneven surfaces, but no lift. Museum stools are available.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

In the play room, children and adults may try on 19th-century clothes, try out historical games and lie down on straw mattresses. The Lindwurm Junior series of the Windler Foundation offers its own events for children and families.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit