Our Machlhütte has an eventful history. It once belonged to the Häuslgut in Kaprun, a farm typical for the region, but since 2008 it has stood on this hill (Kirchbichl). In the past, for fire protection reasons, farm workshops were often housed in separate buildings, not in the main house. Among other things, the farm had a mill, cow and horse stables, a pigsty, a sheepfold, wagon sheds, hay barns and the so-called “Machlkammer”. The latter term refers to a workshop. Our small auxiliary building (Stöckl) offered a workshop on the ground floor, which gave the building its name, and living quarters on the upper floor, which could be reached via an external staircase. Similar buildings were often used as granaries (Troadkasten) on other farms.
Today, the lower room of the Machlhütte is furnished with fixtures that were once part of the furnishings of the Steinerbauernhaus – our main house. In this way we show our visitors how old farmhouses were furnished in the 20th century. It is a mixture of traditional utensils, early industrially produced furniture and modern mass-produced goods. We invite our older guests on a journey through childhood memories and our young visitors can experience how rapidly the living conditions of our grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ generations have changed.
The upper room serves as a large exhibition space, which allows for much flexibility in set-up. After extensive renovation work and a successful fight against woodworms, this wonderful gem with its rooms now serves us as an exhibition space for our changing special exhibitions.
