The VSF is cooking for you
on June 12th, 2026
baked apple slices
baked apple slices
Bread baking starting at 10 a.m.
Lunch starting at 11 a.m.
Steiner Farmhouse | Kaprun Museum
Storm and Retribution! – The Peasants’ War at the Kaprun Museum
From May 20, 2026, to March 28, 2027, the Machlhütte will be transformed into a space for in-depth exploration of the Peasants’ War of 1525–1526. Under the title “Storm and Retribution!”, the exhibition at the Kaprun Museum approaches these historical events not merely as a military sequence, but as a profound social and economic upheaval on the threshold of the modern era.
The exhibition bridges the gap between local historical events and the broader, long-term consequences for the subjects of the Prince-Archbishop. The aim is to bring to life the fears, hopes, and harsh realities of the people in the villages of that time.
The exhibition features works by the artists Johann Schreilechner and Giulio Camagni. Schreilechner’s installation “Dance of Death” brings the history of the Peasants’ War to life: farming implements – scythe, plow, rake – appear ambiguously as tools of daily life and as improvised weapons of the uprising. The cross elevates the scene to the religious realm: a banner of hope and a silent witness to failure. In his graphic novel “1525 – The Uprising,” Giulio Camagni impressively gives a face to those involved in the Peasants’ War.
Another highlight of the exhibition is the AI avatar “M@ria,” developed in collaboration with Gstoll Innovations. As a digital eyewitness, she answers visitors’ questions in real time in both German and English. A female figure was deliberately chosen, as women are said to have often acted as essential messengers in the underground during the Peasants’ War. Despite her rebellious appearance – with tattoos and her hair down – she provides information in a neutral and factual manner, making history tangible through direct dialogue.
The special exhibition “Storm and Retribution” is part of a series of exhibitions funded by the State of Salzburg on the topic of the Peasants’ War of 1525/1526 and has been open since May 21, 2026, during the regular opening hours of the Kaprun Museum in the Machlhütte. The museum’s sponsoring association, the VSF Kaprun (Sigmund Thun Klamm), allows anyone interested to visit the exhibition at the Machlhütte free of charge.
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.
Bread baking starting at 10 a.m.
Lunch starting at 11 a.m.
Steiner Farmhouse | Kaprun Museum