The barn that houses the Kalladorf Farm Museum was built around 1900. It has certainly seen its share of history: Steam threshing machines rattled away inside it; in 1945, 20 Transylvanian refugee families found shelter here—and today, with its approximately 380 m² of floor space spread over three floors, it houses one of the most impressive collections on the agricultural history of the Hollabrunn region.
The idea came from Leopold Stadler, a large-scale farmer from Kalladorf, who in 1979 convinced the future mayor of Hollabrunn, Helmut Wunderl, with a vision: a museum that would ensure old agricultural practices are not forgotten—and at the same time serve as a meeting place for young and old. Association members invested over 3,300 volunteer hours in collecting and restoring the exhibits. The museum opened its doors for the first time in 1982.
What there is to see
The collection covers a wide range: from simple soil-tilling tools to harvesting machines—from the sickle to the sheaf binder—to threshing machines of various generations and old horse-drawn carts. Particularly worth seeing are a 1928 Deering Petroleum tractor and a 1949 Steyr Type 180 tractor. An entire section is dedicated to viticulture, while another features an authentically furnished general store.
The centerpiece: The exhibition deliberately contrasts what is rarely seen so clearly—the different types of labor provided by humans, animals, and machines. Anyone who sees a sheaf binder standing next to an early tractor immediately understands what the transformation in agriculture meant.
The permanent exhibition is complemented by a documentary on structural change in agriculture in the Hollabrunn region, developed in collaboration with the Institute of Folklore. Students from the HTL and the Hollabrunn Agricultural Technical School played a key role in setting up the exhibition.