Museums in Montafon
Museums on the history and culture of the Montafon, the traditional way of life of the Montafon people, the influence of skiing in the valley, as well as exhibitions on the fine arts await you.
Heimatmuseum Schruns
The Montafon Heritage Museum of Local History has existed since 1906 and has been located in the 500-year-old stone building on the church square in Schruns since 1978. The museum houses cultural artefacts from the entire valley and provides information about the traditional way of life of the Montafon population. The Montafon Archive, which is also in the same building, and a specialised library are accessible for study purposes by prior arrangement.
Several temporary exhibitions each year round off the museum's programme.
Opening hours:
Tue–Fri & Sun 14:00–17:00 hrs
In Schruns at the church square
Phone: +43 555674723
what there is to see:
The originally furnished flat, consisting of a kitchen, chamber and parlour, provides an insight into the traditional living culture of the valley. Particularly noteworthy is, what is probably the oldest Montafoner table, dating back to 1712. Various traditional workshops and a hammer mill are set up in the cellar vaults. On the first floor, you can visit an old mountain school class. Since 2022, the new multimedia exhibition ‘WohlWolle - textile cultural heritage and contemporary fashion’ has enriched the permanent exhibition. The ‘Cell’ refers to the building's former use as a district prison and focuses on the time of the Nazi regime in the Montafon. In the ‘Schopf’ you will find the alpine dairy as well as what is probably the largest chimney hat in Vorarlberg, a special architectural feature.
Guided Tour of the church in St. Gallenkirch
The parish church of St. Gallenkirch, originally built in 1305, is one of the most beautiful places of worship in the country. The Old Testament ceiling paintings (biblia pauperum) from the 18th century are unique in southern Germany. Remains of the rediscovered Gothic frescoes in the choir point to a medieval predecessor building.
Tuesday 16.00 hrs
Duration: approx. 45 minutes
Alpin- & Tourismusmuseum Gaschurn
Based on the impressive simplicity and beauty of the architecture of the old wooden house from the early 19th century and its former resident, the priest, alpine pioneer and church musician Franz Josef Battlogg (1836-1900), the museum focuses on the alpine and tourism history of the Montafon amidst the impressive mountain scenery of the Silvretta and Verwall. This is presented in permanent and temporary exhibitions.
Opening times:
20.06. – 26.10.
Dorfstrasse 9, 6793 Gaschurn
Phone: +43 555674723
Bergbaumuseum Silbertal
The Montafon Mining Museum has existed since 1996 and is located together with the Silbertal municipal office in the old school building from the 1920s. The permanent exhibition focuses on Montafon mining in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. Silver, copper and iron were sought-after mining products in the Silbertal-Kristberg-Bartholomäberg area in the late Middle Ages. The museum is therefore an ideal complement to the silver trail and the silver mining world on Kristberg mountain, as well as the historic mine in Bartholomäberg.
Opening hours:
Tue-Fri & Sun 14:00–17:00 hrs
Silbertal Dorfstr. 8
Phone: +43 555674723
what there is to see:
In the exhibition, visitors of all ages can experience the exciting world of mining and learn about mining lifestyles from times gone by. The centrepiece is a small show tunnel with a pit shunt and miner. Historical photos and documents, traditional tools and ores from the mining area complete the collection. In addition, the social conditions of the miners and legal-historical peculiarities such as the office of the mining judge are thematised. Changing special exhibitions.
Museum Frühmesshaus Bartholomäberg
The house of the sermoniser in Bartholomäberg, an outstanding architectural monument from the Baroque period, has enriched the village centre as a museum since 2009.
For centuries, the sermoniser was the second priest in the village and had the task of reading the early mass, among other things. The special feature of the sermoniser's house on Bartholomäberg is its location, which offers a unique panoramic view over the valley. This is also where the historical roots of the Montafon settlement history can be found, and for a long time Bartholomäberg was the main town in the valley.
Opening hours:
Tue-Fri & Sun 14:00–17:00 hrs
Bartholomäberg Dorf 11
Phone: +43 555674723
what there is to see:
In particular, the museum showcases the region's Baroque building culture. The outstanding architecture of the early Baroque building and masterpieces of Baroque furniture provide an atmospheric setting for exhibitions on the cultural history of the Montafon and the exciting history of the local community of Bartholomäberg. The special exhibitions relate both to the local area and to the main themes of the other Montafon museums.
Silberbergwerk Batholomäberg
Immerse yourself in the mysterious world of the miners and experience the fascination of the historic mine with an expert guide. Discover the tough working conditions that miners had to endure in times gone by.
Around 115 metres of the St. Anna mining tunnel are accessible to you. The mine tour lasts around 30 minutes and tours are available for groups of 3 or more. For your visit, we recommend a sense of adventure, sturdy shoes and clothing suitable for the conditions. Protective clothing is provided for each visitor during the tour. Please note that the temperature in the mine is around +8°C.
The mine can be reached on foot in about 50 minutes from the Bartholomäberg baroque church. Please book in advance under: +43 664 840 35 96
To the registration
Kunstforum Montafon
The Kunstforum Montafon (KFM) offers active programmes such as seminars and workshops as well as passive formats such as exhibitions and art education. The central venue is the former loden factory in Schruns, which offers ideally equipped rooms all year round. The exhibition programme focuses on contemporary art from Austria. As a result, the KFM has developed into an important meeting place for art lovers.
75 years after the end of the Nazi regime and the Second World War, memorials are being erected in all Montafon villages. The central themes are, on the one hand, flight and forced labour. On the other hand, there are also stories of humanity and non-violent resistance. These are the fates of people who were previously almost erased from regional memory. All 15 stories took place in Montafon under National Socialism from 1938 to 1945. They are individual fates, but not single fates. There were countless stories of escape at the time, and thousands suffered under forced labour in Montafon alone. At the same time, there was more willingness to help and resistance than can be documented in this memorial project.
Remembrance of the forgotten in St. Gallenkirch: Memorial plaque on the stone wall in front of the municipal office by the village fountain
From 1933 onwards, the National Socialist terror drove countless persecuted people to flee. The Montafon, which borders Switzerland, also became the scene of dramatic escape stories.
Several escape attempts failed due to the dangerous and gruelling escape routes over the Montafon mountains. Numerous fugitives were apprehended by the National Socialist border guards. Some smugglers took all the valuables from the fugitives and abandoned them at the border. And often times, smugglers denounced fugitives to the border police in order to collect the advertised reward.
Nevertheless, there were also escape helpers who felt a deep sense of humanitarian duty. The risk, however, was oppressive: arresting the escape helpers resulted in deportation to a concentration camp, sometimes even immediate execution.
Meinrad Juen from St. Gallenkirch is one of the many examples in Montafon of impressive civil courage. He grew up in modest circumstances in a family with many children. This is probably why Meinrad Juen began smuggling goods across the Swiss border at the age of 15. When the National Socialists came to power in Germany, it was only a small step from experienced smuggler to escape helper.
Meinrad Juen had contacts with resistance groups in Montafon and also established an international network of contacts. In 1942, Meinrad Juen was arrested for ‘smuggling Jews into Switzerland’. He escaped and went into hiding until the end of the war. A report by the local gendarmerie mentions a total of 42 Jews whom Juen is said to have helped to escape.
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