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Musée de la Maison des Rochers de Graufthal à Eschbourg dans le Bas-Rhin

Musée
Musée des arts et traditions populaires
Musée de l'architecture et du patrimoine
Bas-Rhin

Musée de la Maison des Rochers de Graufthal

    Rue Principale
    67320 Eschbourg

Timeline

Moyen Âge central
Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1100
1200
1700
1800
1900
2000
Moyen Âge
Development of the first caves
XVIIe siècle
Transformation into housing
1760
Door dated
1931
Partial collapse
20 décembre 1988
Historical monument classification
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Key figures

Robert Forrer - Archaeologist Graufthal searches in 1899.
Charles Spindler - Archaeologist Graufthal searches in 1899.
Joséphine Wagner - Last of his family Death marking the departure of the Wagner.
Catherine Ottermann (*Felsekaeth*) - Last inhabitant Died in 1958, legendary figure.

Origin and history

The Musée de la Maison des Rochers de Graufthal is located in the hamlet of Graufthal, on the town of Eschbourg (Bas-Rhin). These are three semi-troglodytic dwellings dug in a pink sandstone cliff, occupied until 1958. These houses, restored and furnished to evoke their history and local legends, were inscribed in historical monuments on December 20, 1988. Today, they are maintained by an association and open to the public, offering a unique testimony of Alsatian troglodytic habitat.

According to archaeologists Robert Forrer and Charles Spindler, the first Graufthal caves were built in the Middle Ages, serving first as attices. They were transformed into precarious dwellings in the 17th century and then into permanent dwellings in the 18th century, as evidenced by a door dated 1760. These houses housed modest families, whose living conditions remained basic until the 20th century.

In the 20th century, three families lived there: Weber, Wagner and Ottermann. The Wagner family left after Josephine Wagner's death. In 1931, the floor of Weber's house collapsed, resulting in the death of its owner shortly after. The sisters Ottermann, Madeleine and Catherine (known as Felsekaeth, "Cathy of the Rocks" in Alsatian) were the last occupying sisters. Madeleine died in 1947 at 89, and Catherine, the last resident, died in 1958. She said that her house had sometimes housed up to eighteen people, sharing a common kitchen between two housing units.

External links

Conditions of visit

  • Conditions de visite : Ouvert toute l'année
  • Ouverture annuelle : Du lundi au samedi: de 10h à 12h et de 14h à 18h (de 10h à 18h en continu en juillet/août) Dimanches et jours fériés : de 10h à 18h 30
  • Tarif individuel : Entrée payante : 2,50 € gratuit moins de 12 ans
  • Contact organisation : 03 88 70 19 59