Einwilligung zur Nutzung.

History of the Museum and its Collections up to the end of the 20^th century

The history of our Stadtmuseum is complex and is reflected in the quality of its collections, which are of more than regional importance.

The Stadtmuseum was founded in 1879 as a local history museum by Willibald Filser. The collection comprised objects from the old Town Hall and the craftsmen and patrician families of the town. The exhibits were initially displayed in the Town Hall.

In 1901, parallel to an agricultural fair, the town presented an ensemble of rural parlours from the local area in the Kaisergäßchen, in a building which was the former agricultural school and is now the museum. The groundbreaking exhibition “Folk Art in the Allgäu” served as a model for similar exhibitions in other museums.

In 1928, in the same building, Dr. Bernhard Rost curated an exhibition based on parts of the estate of the famous author Ludwig Ganghofer (1855-1920), who was born in Kaufbeuren.

When, in 1934, the rooms used by the museum in the Town Hall were required for administrative purposes, the collection of local history exhibits was transferred to the building in Kaisergäßchen, which still housed the popular ensemble of rural parlours.

1936 saw the addition of a further gem to the museum’s collection – the extensive crucifix collection of local priest Richard Wiebel.

Thus the comprehensive museum collection was amassed. It is much more than a museum of local history. It is a fusion of diverse collections and exhibitions, each of which is a reflection of its times and its collector. Their unifying factor is their association with Kaufbeuren.

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