711 – Dwelling from Sachseln OW, around 1600/1850's

According to dendrochronological results (tree ring research), this, for its time generous, dwelling house was built between 1594 and 1601.

Icon Museumsplan Nr. 711 Wohnhaus aus Sachseln OW

Anonymous Wealthy Owner

According to dendrochronological results (tree ring research), this, for its time generous, dwelling house was built between 1594 and 1601. The owner must have been a wealthy farmer, but there are no records of him or his family. Two storeys of living space in squared timber construction stand on a masonry cellar foundation. A gently sloping shingle roof weighted down with laths and stones covers the building. It is a typical Central Midlands Swiss farmhouse – similar to the house from Matten from the Bernese Oberland (1021).

Das Wohnhaus aus Sachseln OW im Freilichtmuseum Ballenberg.

Urban Models

By the 1850’s at the latest, the dwelling house of the farm “z Moos” between Sachseln and Flüeli-Ranft was given a new suit of clothes. Joseph von Moos (1794–1866) came from modest circumstances, worked hard, married well and advanced to town councillor and judge. In 1850 he became a councillor of Canton Obwald. He probably had the house renovated according to his social standing: a steep, more urbane roof replaced the flatter one. Porch roofs and gable rooflets, shingling on the walls and a new external chimney rounded off the outside alterations.

The inside alterations were also considerable: the smoke kitchen with its open hearth fi replace disappeared. Instead, a dairy room with milk and cheese cellar was installed in the basement. First the family von Moos and then from 1911 to 1949 the family Omlin operated a dairy here.