Musée Alsacien

The Alsatian Museum offers a charming tour through old Strasbourg residential houses, elegantly connected by wooden staircases and passages.

It showcases numerous objects documenting rural life in Alsace during the 18th and 19th centuries: traditional costumes, furniture, ceramics, toys, as well as religious and secular images. Reconstructions of characteristic interiors from various regions of Alsace—from the agricultural plains and the vineyards to the Vosges mountains—as well as authentic craft workshops make the tour particularly fascinating.

A Living House

Several rooms are replicas of historical interiors, such as the Stùb (common room) of a farmhouse in Wintzenheim. Others seem more imaginary, like the kitchen or the workshop of an apothecary and alchemist. Visitors walk through the spaces as if through a house whose inhabitants have only just departed. The creaking floorboards, the furniture, and the everyday objects recall a life that is simultaneously familiar yet strikingly different from today.

The Stùb – Heart of Family Life

The Stùb was the centerpiece of family life on the farm. Along with the kitchen, it was usually the only heated room in the house. As a multifunctional living space, it served as a dining room, living room, playroom, workspace, and bedroom all at once. The Stùb shown in the museum was installed in 1912; the ceiling beams and wall paneling are original pieces from a farm in Kochersberg.

Water and Fire

The kitchen highlights the two most vital elements:

• Water: Visible at the Wàsserstëën (stone sink) and the pitchers on the water bench.
• Fire: Represented by five different hearths, ranging from the family stove to a distillation unit.

The abundance of rare objects stands in charming contrast to the rustic appearance of the masonry hearths.