Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Écomusée d'Alsace, located in Ungersheim in the Haut-Rhin, was born in the 1970s under the leadership of Marc Grodwohl and volunteers from the Maisons paysannes d'Alsace association. Their initial goal was to save dozens of Alsatian houses threatened with demolition in the on-site restaurant. Faced with the impossibility of keeping them all in situ, they opt for their deconstruction and reconstruction on a unique site, forming a village-museum. The land, ceded by the municipality in 1980, was an industrial wasteland of the Alsace Potash Mines, eaten by sodium chloride.

The museum officially opened in June 1984 with the support of the Minister of Culture Jack Lang, of the commune of Ungersheim, and local authorities such as the General Council of the Haut-Rhin. From the beginning, he distinguished himself by his pedagogical vocation: transmission of traditional know-how via artisans in activity (pots, blacksmiths), environmental classes, and festivals modelled on the liturgical calendar. The gifts of ancient objects by the Alsatians enrich the collections, creating an authentic living environment of the past century.

In 1989, an artificial river fed by Thur was built to illustrate the local ecosystem, while a historic carousel (Eden Palladium, 1909) was installed in 1990 before being sold in 2012 for financial reasons. The museum went through a crisis in 2006 when Marc Grodwohl resigned, opposing the merger with the Bioscope desired by the President of the General Council, Charles Buttner. This troubled period leads to a refocusing on the cultural mission, with the separation of industrial heritage (Rodolphe wells) and the closure of the Clear Mine Historical Train.

Today, the Ecomuseum covers 97 hectares, housing 80 buildings (some dating from the 15th century), 100,000 objects, and 4,800 living species. It illustrates Alsatian rural life through half-timbered houses, a farm, a school, or a washhouse, animated by costumed guides. Recognized as the Musée de France, the institution combines preservation of the material heritage (building, tools) and immaterial (coutums, handicrafts), while raising awareness of biodiversity through cultivated fields, an orchard of 200 varieties of apples, and protected natural areas.

The 2015 inventory lists 627 plant species, 138 birds (including iconic storks), and 48 mammals, highlighting its role in ecological conservation. The museum remains a key player in Alsatian memory, combining ethnology, social history, and environmental commitment, as evidenced by the reconstruction in 2021 of Lipseim's tobacco dryer in the Lower Rhine district.

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