No. 751
The 670-year-old house from Schwyz is the oldest building in the Museum and one of the oldest wooden houses in Switzerland. The period chosen for the presentation of the house in the Museum is that of around 1400.

Dendrochronology has clearly shown that the “Haus am Landsgemeindeplatz” was built in the 1330’s. The late medieval building is consistent with block construction typical at that time in Central Switzerland, where the ground floor plan is divided into two rooms and the house is covered with a gently sloping roof.
Research into the condition of the house in 1400 raised several questions which cannot all be conclusively answered. For example, the information about the original windows on the front gable side was extremely sparse. Only the dormer-window in one of the rooms on the upper floor could be reconstructed. The other windows are consistent with those from the early 18th century. There was also nothing left from the original fireplace. Only marks on the wall indicate where it used to be. The reconstruction followed with the aid of archaeological examples from that time.
The few written documents about the house do not mention any outbuildings such as a stable or barn. That indicates that the house owners did not earn their living from farming alone. The fact that a stove was already added during the first building alterations about the year 1400 is a sign of the owner’s standing.

The house, not least because of its great age, reveals some surprising and exciting details. Studies and research into the building reveal that, just 60 years after the original construction, the foundations were re-laid. To do so, the whole building had to be underpinned.

Inside the house there are also some interesting discoveries to make; for example, the hatch-like opening between the corridor and the living-room, which led to some speculation. In dialect, such openings were called “plague holes”. During the plague, the sick were locked in the living-room and food was passed to them through the hatch. As this arrangement was only to be found in late medieval houses, this was certainly a logical explanation, until it was clearly proved that the hatch used to be an opening to a built-in cupboard. A special constructional feature are the floor boards which are only found in late medieval houses in Central Switzerland. The original floors which are more than 660 years old are still in place in almost the whole of the front part of the house.

Of great importance in the history of everyday rural life is the proof of the installation of a toilet in a the farmhouse dating back to the 14th century. An additional low exit situated next to the door to the side balcony is without doubt from this period and it is also certain that it led to an old-fashioned toilet. A small opening in the outer wall is visible in the room next to the living-room. Research has shown that a urinal was temporarily installed here. Was it for the use of a bedridden patient?

The property was first mentioned in 1567 when the owner was Hans Imlig. After changing hands many times the house was bought by Karl Reichmuth in 1917. Before being taken over by the museum, the house was owned by members of the Reichmuth family who let it to foreign workers from 1987 onwards.

New exhibition concept
Exhibiting a late medieval house presented the museum staff with new problems. Because almost no original furniture from this time period exists, it was decided to leave the rooms completely bare. The emptiness allows you to get a feel for the room and its light. The large rooms with very little light, which is so typical for the “Haus am Landsgemeindeplatz“, should be experienced. The walls and ceilings blackened by soot and smoke cause the rooms surrounding the kitchen fireplace to appear dark and cave-like even in daylight. On the west, north and east outer wall, there are small, hatch-like openings which serve more to circulate air than provide light. The hatches could be covered in the cold wintertime with a board or cloth.