Klostertal Association of Museums

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Arlbergstraße 60a
A-6752 Wald am Arlberg, Austria

www.museumsverein-klostertal.at

The Klostertal Museum in Wald am Arlberg is housed in the former “Thöny-Hof” in Außerwald, Haus No. 11. The chequered history of the property, with its owners the Wachter, Schuler and Thöny families, can be traced back to its construction in the middle of the 17^th century. Up until 1959 the house was occupied and functioning as a licensed premises. In that year Valentin Thöny left his home to study theology in Innsbruck, and since that time the premises has remained largely empty. It is thanks to this fortuitous chain of events that it has escaped modernisation, and has thus retained the greater part of its original fixtures and fittings. Local people had been looking to establish a folklore museum in the Klostertal since the beginning of the 1980s, and during their search for a suitable location those responsible came across the “Thöny-Hof”. After 10 years of adaptation work the newly-completed Klostertal Museum was opened in June 1994.

The Klostertal Museum was always conceived as a museum “with a difference”, and one which distanced itself from “folksy” themes. With this in mind it focused on four main elements to emphasise the true history of the valley: country life and work; history, social history and artistic personalities; the history of transport, railways, postal services and tourism; temporary exhibitions. All visitors, locals and guests alike, should receive an unbiased impression of the history of the Klostertal and its inhabitants, not merely a colourful picture of the “good old days”.

Gallery