Notburga-Museum

The Notburga-Museum stands in Eben am Achensee, a village in the Austrian Alps. It occupies the old parish priest’s house beside the Church of St Notburga. The building itself is a fine example of 18th-century Tyrolean Baroque, designed by Jakob Singer in the 1770s. Its graceful curved gable is a local landmark. The museum tells the story of Notburga, a servant who later became the region’s patron saint. The exhibition was opened in 2004 after careful restoration of its objects. The parish, supported by the Federal Monuments Office and the regional government, created a modern museum. It won the Tyrolean Museum Prize in 2006 for its focus on the life of a courageous woman. Seven rooms explore her legend, the hardships of servants, and the art inspired by her memory. Visitors walk through rooms that display household items, documents and religious art. A special section examines how her story changed over the centuries. Outside, the baroque ensemble of church, priest’s house and sexton’s house forms a harmonious group. The setting among alpine meadows and the Achensee lake adds to the quiet atmosphere.