Wine Country Museum

The Minorite Monastery, which houses the Wine Country Museum on the ground floor

The Wine Country Museum in the Lower Austrian market town of Asparn an der Zaya is a regional museum ( local history museum ) that has existed since 1950. In 25 showrooms on the ground floor of the Minorite Monastery, history, art and folk culture of the immediate and wider area ( Weinviertel ) are documented.

history

The museum was founded in 1950 as "Heimatmuseum Asparn" by Heinrich Schöfmann and was initially housed in two rooms in the parish hall. In 1951, the move to the castle with twelve showrooms took place after the municipality rented the castle. With the help of the federal government and the state, an expansion and redesign took place in 1955 and the name was changed to Weinland Museum to emphasize the regional importance. Subsequently, the construction of the “Prehistoric Open-Air Museum” in the courtyard was started. After the castle became a branch of the " Lower Austria State Museum " and the Museum of Prehistory of the State of Lower Austria was set up in it, the Wine Country Museum was moved to the Minorite Monastery.

From a special exhibition in 1978 in the Weinland Museum and its school holdings, the “Lower Austrian School Museum”, housed in the Michelstetten elementary school, emerged in 1980. From 2005 it was completely redesigned and reopened in 2007 under the name " Michelstettner Schule ".

Minorite Monastery (museum building)

Former refectory that is used as a showroom for sacred objects

The monastery was founded in 1624 by Bishop Leopold von Passau at the request of Seyfried Christoph von Breuner and on October 20, 1632 the deed of foundation was issued. The previous building burned down in 1740. In 1745 the foundation stone was laid for the new building, a four-wing, three-storey building under saddle roofs, carried out by master builder Ludwig Kaltner.

The south facade or main facade is designed with cordon cornices and corner bands as well as pilasters that frame the two outer axes. The baroque entrance portal is framed by Ionic double pilasters and has a triangular gable with a tooth cut, which is crowned by vases; the coat of arms of the Minorites is shown in the gable .

The entire ground floor with the former cloister is used as a showroom. Among other things, the former refectory , a four-axis hall under a barrel vault , in which sacred showpieces are exhibited. The first floor serves as a rectory and convent and the second floor for apartments.