Heimatmuseum Markt Schwaben: Annual exhibition on the company’s own history – Ebersberg

The exhibits in Market Swabia local history museum go back to the Stone Age, for example there is a skeleton from the Bell Beaker culture in the archeology room. Of course, the makers behind the exhibition are not quite as old as this – most of them are now “around 80”, says Bernd Romir, museum director and already 74 themselves – but the association can look back on 32 years of “very successful activity”. already looking back. And because Corona prevented a celebration for the milestone birthday in 2020, the anniversary exhibition will now be rescheduled: This weekend the team is presenting “30+2 exciting years of the Heimatmuseum”, including various surprises.

“We actually always wanted to have a local history museum in Markt Schwaben,” says Romir, former headmaster and local councillor. And in 1990, the then mayor Willi Haller finally gave the decisive impetus to found an association for this purpose. Around ten committed local researchers came together to form a core that still exists today and is apparently really very hard. However, at that time it was not foreseeable that the museum would actually have its own house, says Romir. “So we just started collecting old things in the castle attic.”

Just two years later, however, the municipality was given the “Schweigervilla” as a gift – “not beer, but wood Schweiger,” as museum director Romir emphasizes. The generous donor was a company that built several residential buildings around the decorative building from 1927, and therefore “demanded the community to use it quietly”. A youth center or something similar was out of the question – and the local history museum was able to celebrate its birth. However, the listed villa first had to be extensively renovated – a great financial effort that the construction company had avoided – before the association was able to gradually expand it into an exhibition venue from 1999 onwards.

When the club moved into its new house, it was completely empty. Today, a good 20 years later, it is full, from top to bottom. The basement is used as a depot, the three upper floors serve as exhibition space. “14 different rooms – that’s 14 years of hard voluntary work,” says Romir, “rather even more”. In this respect he is very grateful for the loyal team and its specialists. Irmgard Köhler, for example, researched tirelessly in archives, Franz Seiler took care of archaeological topics, Josef Blasi dealt intensively with castles and palaces and Leni Pelzer with “Swabian porcelain”. The first museum-style room, opened in January 2001, was dedicated to him.

Open detailed view

Each room is now dedicated to a different theme, from the market Swabian breweries to the art of printing, you can admire a kitchen from the 1920s, a shoemaker’s workshop and a historic classroom, and there is even a sacred section. And Romir is particularly proud of the fact that he managed to give each room its very own presentation and a different flair. The highlight and final point of the expansion in 2018 and 2019 were the two “rooms of contemporary history” from 1900 to 1950 and from 1950 to 2000. This most recent era is about the local economic boom, but also about things that Markt Swabia has known for a long time special, for example the popular “Weiherspiele”.

It was only this year that a media station was opened: a touchpad on which topics can be selected by pointing a finger and corresponding photographs can be viewed. Marveling at the juxtaposition of past and present and reminiscing – that’s what the Markt Schwaben local history museum is all about. And although the beautiful villa is actually already full to the rafters, the team already has the next innovation ready: “What was missing so far was an explicit appreciation of our clubs,” explains Romir. But that should now be made up for, with small panels in the stairwell, each presenting one of the 14 oldest clubs in Markt Schwaben, from Schützen to FC Falke.

Open detailed view

The anniversary show will now be integrated into the permanent exhibition: In several rooms there are extra partition walls in the middle, on which mainly photographs can be seen. Not only the individual steps in the creation of the museum are presented, but above all the many people who have brought this project forward: the exhibition organizers, the protagonists of the events, such as the museum music, as well as the many visitors. “We show recordings of openings, but also, for example, of the numerous Kirta montages with music and reading,” explains the museum director.

Particular attention is also paid to the annual exhibitions, which took place in the town hall foyer until 2000 and in the museum since 2001. Representing more than 30 different shows, the topics “From the Roman road to the Autobahn”, “Home of refugees and displaced persons”, “Twin town of Ostra”, “Carnival in Markt Schwaben” and “Childhood in Markt Schwaben” are presented here.

Open detailed view

“We’re also showing a few surprises from the history of Markt Schwaben,” says Romir. For example, a real children’s film star can be presented, as well as a display case with various exhibits that have never been seen before. “And I’m pretty sure these testimonies will trigger strong emotions – from frightening to funny.” However, the head of the museum does not want to reveal any more details, after all there is still a lot to discover during the visit.

Annual exhibition for the anniversary in the Markt Schwaben local history museum, opening this Saturday, November 12, at 2 p.m., then open until 6 p.m., as well as Sunday, November 13, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday, November 16, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, November 20, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. All information below https://heimatmuseum-markt-schwaben.de/