local Museum Enkirch

The village-house with its giant bay windows was probably built in its original shape in the 15th century and then during several decades rebuild and restored. The bay window shows the year 1679, while over the entrance door the year 1778 is carved in wood. In the year 1957/58 the back part was added and in the cellar was renovated to be the „Ratsweinschenke“, a wine tavern which is owned by the village. On the ground floor was our museum established, after ideas from our village researcher Hans Immich Spier. From around 1979 the museum is taken care of by the „Village Tourist Board, Enkirch“ and the rooms were then as good as possible furnished. In the year 2004 and 2005 the complete building was restored and renovated. At this time came the idea for a special room with the explanation of the Graf Sponheimer family history.

Room 1

By entering the museum you are in the former live-in-kitchen with a water well, that was seldom found in the kitchen. As a rule it was in the cellar. The well is 12 meter deep to the ground and it has a water-level von about 3-4 meter and also a connection to the cellar. The furniture in the room is from around 1950. The open fireplace was not only for cooking, but also for heating the whole house.

Room 2

Through the door next to the well you enter into the room for display of early history. A map with colored marks showing the places and the findings which are in the showcase below. Further items in this room are marked with color as well. To the right of the map are the dates registered, when the items were found. Further you can in this room find cannonballs out of stone as well as out of iron. These iron cannon-balls are originated from the fortress „Mont Royal“, that was erected across the Mosel upon the Mountain by Ludwig XIV and it is said to have been the largest fortress at that time.

Room 3 + 4

The front part of the room is designated for respected people who are honored for their contrition to the village. Next is the carpenter-profession illustrated in combination with tools and model-houses. The walk leads you past a wall showcase into the rooms 3 + 4. Room 3 ist open for special events while in room 4 further illustrations of different professions are presented. In a drawer-show-case you will find for instance charters of guild, mill-books and other occupation-documents. Now you step back again and before the kitchen you enter into the left two rooms.

Room 5 + 6

Here in this room is the pride of our museum. Original displays from 15th - 18th with the complete court stalls from the small court that was situated here in the village since 1248 and first in 14th moved to Trarbach main court. In the year 1248 Enkirch became their own charter, which stated following charter-rights: rescind bondage, arrange a market, organize a small court. The people were allowed to build a wall around the village. At the end of 13th this was completed with 7 gates.

Here you find a drawer-show-case. Under the glas case is the judge book from 1490 and a few seals. In the drawer you find a copy of the deed of gift dated 908 from Ludwig IV., the copy of the charter from 1248, the approval documents from the charter rights from different sovereigns and a register from 1430 after which the people by name had to pay their taxes. The tithe, (here a tenth was taken in tax) was now not used. The high table is an original desk, where the writer was standing in front of the table during his work. In room 6 are explanations to the court rules and you also find instruments for punishments. A life size doll shows for instance how to wear a small neck collar. Now you step back through the kitchen and then take the stairs to the left up into the upper rooms.

Room 7

Here the work outside the houses by the wine farmer is illustrated with a part of the tools, that was used in the wine field. They are still used today.

Room 8

One of the most important tool for the wine farmer was the wine barrel out of oak. In this room is the barrel coopers workshop with all the tools that was used for making a wine barrel.

Room 9

A shoemakers workshop like this existed in the year 1780 in Enkirch 38 times according to the guild register. The special here is the glass from the time before electric light, hanging over the table. With a candle behind the glass the shoemaker had an effective light. The water in the lamp worked like an optic magnifying glass with the light from the candle. You can see this demonstrated on the wall.

Room 10

Here in the parlor is no explanation necessary except that this room was usually only used for Easter and Christmas. The real family life happened in the kitchen.

Room 11

Here we show the most important tools for the wine production. It starts with the grape mill, the wine press and continues with pumps, filter and bottling till mailing. In the right corner stands an oak vessel with which they measured the content of the wine barrels exact by the liters. With the stamp brand was the number of liters burned into the barrel base. Till the year 1942 was a moselfuder like 960 liters. From 1942 it changed to 1000 liters.