The Touriseum's collection
Museums are places of remembrance. The collecting and professional keeping of objects related to such remembrance, as well as research and communication, are fundamental to a museum's work. The Touriseum collects objects related to the history of tourism in the region.
A computer program archives all data on the objects in the museum. New donations are continually adding to the museum collection. We would like to express our thanks to all those who have made a contribution.
The database
We regret that the search function is only available in German or Italian.
Collection areas
What type of objects does the Touriseum collect? Here you can find an overview of the museum's biggest collection areas.
As photography became fashionable at the end of the 19th Century, the sending of picture postcards with holiday greetings became widespread. The earliest were in black and white, but soon hand-coloured versions became popular. The Touriseum collection reflects a wide variety of subjects from the period around 1900. In addition you can see a collection of hotel brochures, mainly from the 1930s and 1950s. And if you found the 3D-effect stereo pictures in the permanent exhibition fascinating, and want to see more, you will find another 100 in the depot.
When did spaghetti and when did chips/French fries reach Tyrol? The large collection of menus from 1880 to the present day cannot give a precise answer, but they do reveal in broad terms how eating habits have changed as a result of tourism. You can also see silver cutlery sets from the turn of the century, and a series of, mostly designer, coffee cups from the 20s and 30s.
En suite showers and toilets only became a standard feature of hotel rooms gradually, starting in 1960. Before this time, even in the better hotels, the toilet was along the corridor. In the Belle Epoque only the most expensive suites in the most prestigious Grand Hotels offered a private bath. Chamber-pots and basin and ewer sets give a vivid impression of the standard of hygiene in the so-called "good old days".
This is one example from over 300 posters in the Touriseum collection. They range from rare examples dating from 1880 to those of the present day, and provide an insight into the evolution of tourism advertising styles. An important part of the collection is the work of the Merano artist, Franz Lenhart. His seductive female figures created a surprisingly modern image of South Tyrol.
From the first day of their holidays tourists are on the look out for things to take back with them - objects that symbolise the holiday experiences and keep the memory of them alive when the tourists have gone back to their daily routines. Souvenirs say a lot about the person who buys them, and also about the period in which they were produced. The Touriseum's colourful collection ranges from 1870 up to the present day.
Over time, things accumulate in every museum depot for which one cannot readily find a home for instance, a travelling pistol disguised as a walking-stick, a chamber-pot, a little hat covered with plastic flowers and other Alpine kitsch, or even a billiard table. In the Touriseum these curiosities, which together look rather like the contents of a rucksack belonging to Luis Trenker, have been given their own room.