Pfahlbaumuseum Dr. Carl Irlet

About the museum

The museum is located in the Fraubrunnenhaus in Twann, a Renaissance building that originally served as the autumn house of the Cistercian convent of Fraubrunnen and, after the Reformation, as the seat of administrators of the region. Finds from the pile-dwelling era have been displayed in its rooms since about 1935/1940, and they remain in their original arrangement to this day, which is why it is called a "museum within a museum."

The collection was built up over generations by the Irlet family. Wilhelm Irlet made archaeological observations at the lake in the 1840s, his son Karl collected in a targeted way, and his grandson Carl Irlet set up the museum. On display are arrowheads, stone and antler tools, pottery and a few bronze objects from settlements that are around 5,000 years old. The house also contains electrical installations from 1911; contemporary artworks enter into a dialogue with the old finds.

Highlights

• Finds from the pile-dwelling settlements at Lake Biel, about 5,000 years old
• Exhibition since the 1930s and 1940s in its original state, a "museum within a museum"
• Renaissance Fraubrunnen House, former autumn house of a Cistercian convent
• Family collection of the Irlets across several generations

Permanent exhibition

• Pfahlbausammlung Dr. Carl Irlet – Finds from the Neolithic and Bronze Age from Lake Biel, in the original display of the 1930s and 1940s.

Admission & discounts

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Accessibility

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Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

The Fraubrunnenhaus is at Dorfgasse 28 in Twann; according to Swiss Museums, it is easy to reach by public transport.

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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