Bregenzerwälderhaus, Schwarzenberg

Built: 1650/1819
Year of translocation: 1963

This two-storey building is a typical example of the Wälderhaus with the living quarters, store rooms, barn and byre accommodated under the same roof.

The oldest section of the Naglerhaus dates from the 17th century. In 1964, the farmhouse had to make way for a new road. By then farming activities had effectively ceased and only the living quarters were still being used. The farmstead was dismantled and subsequently re-erected in Stübing.

The living quarters and the stable are constructed of logs with notched joints and ends slightly protruding at the corners, the barn is of timber-frame construction and clad with weather-boards.

A distinctive feature of the Wälderhaus is the kitchen which is located in the hall that extends from eave to eave. In the Naglerhaus the original raised open hearth has survived. At the gable end of the house there are a living room, a bed chamber and a store room.Panelling around the interior walls in the living room and elaborate pieces of furniture testify to the advanced culture and sense of propriety and order which are characteristic of the Alemannic regions. The same graceful dignity and unpretentious beauty, which we admire in the Wälderhausstyle, is also a hallmark of the traditional costumes, with their fine lace and embroidery, which are still worn on feast days by many women today.

This emphasis on handicrafts is closely linked to economic developments. After 1700, many farmers stopped ploughing the fields that were ill suited to the production of crops and kept dairy cattle instead. Having to spend less time tilling the soil, they were free to take on some of the activities traditionally carried out by the women, such as tending the animals. This gave women more time for handicrafts. Embroidery and lace-making became wide-spread and after 1800 many women became out-workers for the flourishing textile industry.

A unique feature of the Wälderhaus is the enclosed veranda at the south end of the house. In the summer the family took their meals there. In winter, the shutters were closed to make the room wind and weather-proof.The first floor accommodated bedrooms.

The rear portion of the building is occupied by the stable and a barn where hay was stored in different sections according to whether it was the first or second cut. The building has a pitched purlin roof which is covered with five layers of shingles.