Nadelburgmuseum


The Museum



The Nadelburg contains a private museum with a historically very valuable collection, consisting of photographs, documents, plans and the most beautiful display pieces dating back to the times when the factory at the Nadelburg was still producing more than 800 different items. The museum clearly shows the history of the ruling powers and the industries of the Nadelburg, manufactured articles and various other items, comprehensive photographic material relating to the history of the Nadelburg, as well as the former episcopal park where once a large castle surrounded by moats stood during the 12th century. The purpose of this former castle in the present-day Villateich was to defend the population from threatening raids from the east. This castle was destroyed in 1491. Because the former needle factory was located in close proximity to the castle, the name Nadelburg (i.e. needle castle) was adopted for the manufacturing site.

As manager and owner of the private
"Nadelburgmuseum"
of local history, we, the Bachtrögl family, allow visits to the museum
free of charge for school pupils, students, club members and private individuals.

Founder: Franz Gehrer (1924 - 1997).


The Museum is located in the historic settlemant Nadelburg, Walzergasse 8.
It is housed in a building that itself forms part of the history of the Nadelburg, the so-called Winkelhaus that was bought by Franz Gehrer in 1978. The exhibits can be viewed in twenty different rooms.
Franz Gehrer collected virtually all of the exhibits during his lifetime. Our family makes every effort to continuously acquire and display new exhibits for the museum.


Housed in a building that itself is part of the history of the Nadelburg. The Winkelhaus is one of the oldest and largest buildings in the Nadelburg, built during the first construction phase between 1747 and 1756. A connection to the former "Herrschaft Winkelmühle" (Winkelmill manor) is possible, but not proven. As a special construction within the Nadelburg, this building was not a workers' residence. Since both sides of the courtyard once housed storage areas for food or wagons, and some of the kitchens were designed with raised vaults, it most likely originally served as an outbuilding. The Nadelburg Museum was carefully integrated into the old walls and, as a private museum, has now grown to a considerable size; the exhibits can be viewed in several rooms.

Franz Gehrer was born in "Im Winkel" in 1924 and, out of a sense of affinity for his homeland, began collecting all the remaining relics of the factory shortly after his return from World War II. In 1948, he began tracking down and archiving the first relics of the factory. At that time, he worked as a lathe operator in Karl Hartung's factory in Lichtenwörth until its closure in 1954. Over these many years of collecting, hundreds of exhibits accumulated, including needles, bells, irons, candlesticks, bells, weights, tobacco tins, uniform buttons, pots, mortars, horse combs, and much more, all products manufactured here. The exhibits were meticulously labeled, and old photographs of the factory buildings, the mansion, its owners, and the people who worked there were collected. In 1972, he acquired the building and saved it from ruin. In 1984, he set up a room (corridor) as a museum and opened it to the public. Many contemporary witnesses appreciated his efforts and donated several heirlooms that their great-grandfathers had made here in the factory, knowing full well that they would be well preserved here in the museum. Some frames even have inscriptions on the back, but the idea of ​​visitors removing the frames from the wall to turn them over and read them hasn't really caught on. In his free time as a pensioner, he was always happy to give free tours of the Nadelburg.

In 1997, Mr. Gehrer passed away, and his son-in-law, Roman Bachtrögl, expanded the museum by adding three additional rooms. In the following years, he also managed to raise awareness of the Nadelburg through newspaper and television advertising. In this way, he succeeded in attracting many visitors to Lichtenwörth and the Nadelburg Museum. The history of the Nadelburg was brilliantly conveyed during tours of the grounds and the museum. After his father's death, his son Robert took over the museum in 2013. His passion until then had been the continuous expansion of the collection and the museum rooms. The once small museum grew from just under 20 to now well over 250 square meters, with all renovation work in the historic building carried out by Robert Bachtrögl with great attention to detail. These "museum construction sites" are well documented from 1997 onwards through newspaper articles and photographs. The museum's focus is on the entire Nadelburg complex in all its facets, but the thematic area also encompasses the village of Lichtenwörth. Some museum rooms are still furnished as they were back then, which gives an idea of ​​the limited space in some workers' quarters. The numerous stoves are also a historical development and not merely a decorative element, as in the past, almost every single room had to be heated in winter. Even today, wood-burning stoves are still occasionally used for heating.

Robert Bachtrögl on the museum: When I looked around my grandfather's museum after his death in 1997, it became clear to me that a lot of work would have to be done to expand and remodel. Back then, there was only one room, which was already suffering from damp, and the handwritten notes on Grandpa's pictures were beginning to fade. I began carefully renovating Grandpa's museum room that same year. Still preserved today are his hand-made picture frames with glass from demolished windows. They are all screwed together quite robustly (with old screws from the Hartung factory) and are probably unique in their kind. With attention to detail, room after room of the building was adapted as a museum space over many years, always preserving what was worth preserving. A life's work that I am now carrying on in the third generation. My strong connection to the Nadelburg comes from Albin Scheriau and Clemens Gehrer, my two great-grandfathers who worked in the factory's wire drawing department. Among other things, they produced wire "as fine as horsehair" in the factory. Collecting continues, rarities from the Nadelburg are tracked down, and new exhibits are presented. Tours of the Nadelburg grounds have also been offered upon request, in keeping with the family tradition for over 50 years, during a visit to the private museum.


Home page first developed in 2002. -- Robert Bachtrögl -- A-2493 Lichtenwörth-Nadelburg, lower austria - www.Nadelburgmuseum.at
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