The building was used for centuries as a grocery store and commercial buidling. Since its renovation in 1991, the building has housed the Museum Malerwinkelhaus of the town of Marktbreit. Permanent exhibits include: “Frauen-Zimmer: Life Stages in a Franconian Small Town” and “Roman Cabinet.” The programming is augmented by special exhibits that explore cultural and historical topics.
The permanent exhibit “Frauen-Zimmer. Life Stages in a Franconian Small Town” extends from the top floor to the attic of the building. Based on interviews and examples from Marktbreit town history, the exhibit explores the life of local women from birth to death. Visitors get a glimpse of the social and cultural aspects of the everyday life of women, as well as the stories of women from different social and religious backgrounds, born between 1875 and 1925. The exhibit not only reawakens nostalgic memories for women, however. For big and small kids, there are “museum mice” hiding throughout the building, waiting to be found. Whoever locates all “mice” gets a sweet reward.
The Roman Section informs about the life of Roman legionnaires who had an encampment outside present-day Marktbreit. The exhibit is augmented by an interpretive walk on the Kapellenberg. Visitors can try on Roman helmets to get an idea of how heavy their armor and provisions were. There is grain to be ground between two grindstones that were shared by eight legionnaires to provide their daily bread. Or you can explore the camp playfully.
The programming is augmented by special exhibits that highlight cultural and historical topics of the region. The museum has a café and offers a number of educational programs even for special exhibits, making the museum a great experience for children.
A special highlight is the Adventtime in the museum with special exhibitions, christmas market and programming – and admission is free.