Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The House of Archaeology, inaugurated in 1989 in Niederbronn-les-Bains (Bas-Rhin, Grand Est), occupies a building built during the German period (1879-1918) as a court of peace. This museum, labeled 'Musée de France', displays objects from local excavations, covering prehistory up to industrial archaeology, with special attention for the castles of the northern Vosges such as the Schoeneck or the Windstein.

The collections come from donations (Malye, Mathis, Engleder), purchases (Wolff), and excavations conducted from the 1970s (Erian, Schellmanns) to the 1990s (Prevost-Boure). Among the flagship pieces are a 15th-century bronze sink of the Helfenstein Castle, fragments of the Hohenfels, and a collection of stoves evoking the industrial history of Dietrich forge masters.

The museum collaborates with other archaeological sites (Herxheim, Bliesbruck-Reinheim) to share research, educational services and scientific library. It offers various temporary exhibitions, mixing prehistory, contemporary art (like the works of Pierre Gangloff) and transversal themes, such as writing through 5,000 years of history.

The former judicial vocation of the building (1879-1918) reflects the complex history of Alsace-Lorraine, then under German administration. Today, the Archaeology House is positioned as a place to mediate between past and present, highlighting regional heritage through volunteers and scientific partnerships.

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