Ortsmuseum Bütschwil

About the museum

The Bütschwil Museum Society was founded on November 17, 1980. Its aim was to save the houses on the Eichelstock in the village center from decay and to collect and present local history. As early as 1975, a group had campaigned for a local museum; the two properties, Rosenast and Keller, could initially be rented from the Catholic parish. A donation to the municipality (1979) by castle researcher Jakob Grob formed the foundation of the collection. The museum opened in 1981.

The building group consists of the two former residential houses Rosenast and Keller, plus a shed as a connecting building. The timber of the smaller house, Rosenast, was felled in winter 1732/33; the house was later moved to its present site and is furnished as the home of ordinary people, with a hand loom in the cellar. The larger house, Keller, dates back to the mid-18th century; as early as 1784 a tavern called “Zur Traube” was housed there, and its dance floor in the attic has been preserved. The Keller house was gently renovated from 2017 to 2018.

In the Keller house, the office of secondary school teacher Josef Halter (1877–1968) and the parlor of Dietfurt postcard photographer Alfred Lichtensteiger (1873–1952) are on view, along with documents, photographs and drawings of the municipality's architectural development. The connecting building hosts temporary exhibitions by regional artists, as well as seminars and conferences. The society also operates the Säge Hätschberg and the Taamühle, which it rents out for events.

Highlights

• Two residential houses from 1732/33 and around 1754 in the protected village center
• Domestic life of past times, with a hand loom in the Rosenast house
• Original preserved parlor of secondary school teacher Josef Halter
• Parlor and photographs by postcard photographer Alfred Lichtensteiger
• Dance floor of the former tavern “Zur Traube” in the attic

Permanent exhibitions

• Haus Rosenast – Wohnen des einfachen Mannes – The smaller residential house from 1732/33 shows how widows, weavers and other ordinary people lived, with everyday objects and a hand loom in the cellar.
• Haus Keller – Josef Halter und Alfred Lichtensteiger – The larger house contains the office of secondary school teacher Josef Halter and the parlor of photographer Alfred Lichtensteiger, supplemented by local history documents, photographs and drawings.

Founded

1981

Operated by

Museumsgesellschaft Bütschwil

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

According to the museums.ch profile, the museum offers at least one activity for families or children.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on the Eichelstock, opposite the forge and near the Catholic church.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Up to 20 guests.

The converted rooms in the local museum are suitable for seminars and conferences of up to 20 people (three rooms with flip charts and a projection screen, a small office, a front garden). Cooking is not possible on the premises. For family and club events, the society also rents out the Taamühle.