Peter Zirbes Haus Landscheid/Niederkail

The Peter Zirbes House was built in 1826 by his father Nikolaus Zirbes. A fire in 1901 destroyed the existing thatched roof and roof truss. During the reconstruction the outer walls were raised a little bit and the roof was covered with tiles. In 1973, the then local community of Niederkail acquired the house and the further estate from the poet's heirs. The restoration in proper style was carried out between 1980 and 1982 by the newly formed local community Landscheid with the support of the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments, the district of Bernkastel-Wittlich, the VerbandsgemeindeWittlich-Land and the Kreissparkasse Bernkastel-Wittlich. The building was restored to its original condition with regard to its height and roofing. The "Peter-Zirbes-Kulturkreis", founded in 1981, took over the care of the house together with the local community. The modest size of the building with its original furnishings, especially the furniture, is an exemplary document of the standard of living of the Niederkailer and Landscheider traders in the 19th century. Today, the house reflects exactly the same condition as it was during the poet's lifetime (1825 - 1901). You enter the museum directly through the kitchen, which is equipped with an open fireplace, and from there you enter the living room and the bedroom as well as a hall room. In the house there are oil paintings and drawings by Peter Zirbes as well as newspaper articles, letters of thanks and examples of the poet's manuscripts, photographs of Peter Zirbes and his wife Anna Maria Zirbes and books from the estate. One drawing depicts the poet's son, who died in 1964. In addition, the local history in connection with the ambulant trade is presented with economical means. Some boards show photos of the development of the trade. The passport for Nikolaus Zirbes and his wife and son Peter, documents of the Handelverein Niederkail and its old club flag complete the documentary equipment. The Peter-Zirbes-Haus can be visited by appointment with Marita Illigen (head of the village Niederkail), phone 06575/1556. The guided tours through the small house last about 1 hour. A small donation for the maintenance of the house is requested.