The permanent exhibition on the history of the town in the Hornmoldhaus Stadtmuseum offers 500 square meters of exciting insights into the development of Bietigheim-Bissingen from the Neolithic Age to the 21st century. Numerous exhibits, models and multimedia stations bring the history and everyday life of our ancestors to life. Highlights include the Roman estate “Weilerlen”, the wall paintings of the Hornmoldhaus, furniture from the Renaissance, the “Erwin-von-Baelz Cabinet” with Japanese works, the Wine Registry, the half-timbered room, the summer parlor and exhibitions on more recent history in the rear building, which is currently being renovated.
Information on guided tours can be found here.
Erwin von Baelz Cabinet
Erwin von Baelz (1849-1913) is one of the best-known physicians that Bietigheim has produced, although he never practiced in his home town. During his 29 years in Japan, he introduced modern Western medicine, became personal physician to the emperor and had a lasting impact on the country's medical history. He also recognized the healing effects of the sulfur springs in Kusatsu and turned the town into one of Japan's leading health resorts. In 1962, on the 50th anniversary of his death, a town twinning agreement was signed between Kusatsu and Bietigheim, which is still maintained today.
The Hornmoldhaus Stadtmuseum has dedicated a separate cabinet to Baelz, which was opened in 2019. Valuable memorabilia can be seen there, including farewell gifts from the Japanese emperor and works of art, for example by the well-known artist Kawanabe Kyôsai, which Baelz brought with him to Europe.
A publication on Erwin von Baelz is available from the city archives and the Hornmoldhaus Stadtmuseum.
Fotos: Tilman Lothspeich, Köln
The city model of Bietigheim's old town
The town model shows Bietigheim around 1830. Up to this time, the town fortifications were still largely intact; it was only after this time that the demolition of parts of the town wall and the fortification and gate towers began. In the foreground you can see the state timber yard established in the 18th century. This is where the timber, which came on rafts from the Black Forest, was pulled ashore and sold. The town's Zimmerplatz was also located nearby.
The Hornmoldhaus and the town hall are also clearly visible. The charred remains of a town fire can be seen opposite. The model was created by the Bietigheim-Bissingen town archives on the occasion of the museum opening in 1989 on the basis of numerous town plans, actions and historical photographs.
The Bietigheim Wine Registry
The Bietigheim Wine Registry was started in 1550 under the Bietigheim town clerk, bailiff and wine merchant Sebastian Hornmold. It was a basis for calculating the wine trade in the town. The prices, the quantity produced and the quality of the wine were recorded in it year after year. “Zimlich viel und gut” was noted for the harvest of 1731, for example. The Bietigheim Wine Registry has been kept up to the present day and is updated every year by the mayor with information on the current vintage. The sheets are kept in a specially made wooden cabinet from the 18th century. They allow conclusions to be drawn about the development, climate and pest infestation.