Museum im Heimathaus - Stadt- und Spielzeugmuseum Traunstein

Description

Located in the centre of Traunstein, the Stadtmuseum Heimathaus Traunstein presents urban and regional historical subjects in a museum setting. It shows how life, work and faith in the region have developed over the centuries.

The museum is housed at Stadtplatz 2–3 and occupies rooms in the so‑called Brothausturm as well as in the former Ziegleranwesen. The buildings are part of the historic town ensemble: the gate tower was erected in 1541 and expanded in the 18th century, while the Zieglerwirtshaus dates from the late 17th century and features ground‑floor arcades and a bay window.

The collection began in the 19th century as a private initiative; initially objects were displayed in pharmacy rooms and later in the town hall. In 1919 a resident of Traunstein donated her house for the benefit of a municipal historical museum. Since 1923 the holdings have been accessible at the present location. For a long time the city acted as the sponsor; since 1951 operations have been the responsibility of the Stiftung Heimathaus. Initial care was provided on a voluntary basis by local association members; since 1991 there has been a full‑time museum director.

The exhibition ranges from prehistory and early history through the Middle Ages and the early modern period to more recent city history. Particular emphasis is placed on the presentation of the former saltworks up to 1912, as well as on crafts, trade and commerce. The displays are complemented by paintings, sacred art, testimonies to popular belief and customs, and objects relating to the bourgeois and peasant culture of the Chiemgau. Special exhibitions are shown regularly; examples include “VOM ANTLITZ ZUM SELFIE” (guest contribution by the Städtische Galerie Traunstein, Oct.–Dec. 2021), the celebration “100 Jahre Museum im Heimathaus Traunstein” (Apr.–Oct. 2023), and thematic exhibitions on Jewish life and on legal and urban history in spring 2025. An affiliated toy museum with historic pieces from the late 19th and early 20th centuries was closed in 2025.