Zeughaus, Bad Radkersburg

The Stadtmuseum stands in the old Zeughaus in Bad Radkersburg, a town in the south-eastern corner of Styria. The Zeughaus itself was built in 1588 by the master builder Karl Marbl, together with a provision house, and both were joined by internal courtyards. Two-storey Tuscan colonnades run round the inner courtyard, and the rustic portal dates from the 17th century. The main façade was remodelled in 1798 with two three-eighths bay windows at the sides.

The museum opened in 1955 after wartime storage saved the collection. Dr Gebhard Frodl, then regional conservator, helped bring the objects back to public view. Notburga Huiber, the museum’s long-serving leader and archivist, expanded the holdings for decades before a major redesign in 1998. Under Professor Karl Stocker and Magister Beatrix Vreča the displays were reorganised with students from Kassel, and the building was renamed Museum im alten Zeughaus.

Visitors find Renaissance arcades and stone columns in Tuscan style in the inner courtyard. The permanent exhibition shows prehistoric finds and rural household objects from the former Heimatmuseum Tieschen. The museum also houses a library and music school, making it a cultural centre for the town.