Laarer, St. Nikolai

Built: 1576 (1694) 1721
Year of translocation: 1964

The oldest records referring to the Laarer farmstead date from 1576 and mention that the farm was owned by a certain Leonhard Lärer. The farmstead is what is known as a Paarhof, and consists of a farmhouse and barn as two separate buildings, which was typical for the medieval clearing period, when forests were cleared for settlements. This type of farmstead typically had outbuildings including a granary, a well, and a freestanding baking oven.This two-storey notched log farmhouse has a hall running from eave to eave. It is a typical example of a medieval farmhouse with its characteristic spacious kitchen and raised open hearth.The half door, reminiscent of Grimm's The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids, allows the smoke from the open hearth to escape.

As in the Murtal farmhouse, the fire hood is made of masonry. Opposite the kitchen is a living room with a tiled stove dating from the 18th century. The bedrooms are upstairs together with another stove-heated living room.The main beam bears the date 1721 and the initials M.E. for Matthias Engelardt, who extended the farmhouse. The carved rose of the main beam has become the emblem of the Austrian Open-Air Museum. Characteristic of the style of the Murtal region, the sloping rafter roof is reinforced by a special truss to bear the load of snow, and is covered with wooden shingles.