The Building | www.museia.it

The Building

A former monastery of the Poor Clares

Frauenmuseum-08320
Im letzten Stockwerk und im Dachgeschoss dieses historischen Gebäudes befindet sich das Frauenmuseum in Meran seit dem Jahre 2011

Since 2011, the Women’s Museum is found on the last floor and in the attic of this historic building.

Since 2011, the Women’s Museum is found on the last floor and in the attic of this historic building.

Frauenmuseum-08320 - copy
Der Teil des Kreuzgangs des ehemaligen Frauenklosters im Parterre, der noch erhalten geblieben ist. Es enthält kostbare Fresken des Hauses und wird auch immer wieder vom Frauenmuseum bespielt

On the ground floor, part of the cloister of the former women’s monastery is still preserved until today. It contains precious frescoes and serves as an additional space for exhibitions and events of the Women’s Museum - every now and then.

On the ground floor, part of the cloister of the former women’s monastery is still preserved until today. It contains precious frescoes and serves as an additional space for exhibitions and events of the Women’s Museum - every now and then.

2011

2011

In 2011 the rooms of the museum were officially opened. Since then, it is the Seat of the Women’s Museum, and also of IAWM (International Association of Women’s Museums).

2010

2010

In 2010, the two upper floors were adapted for the Women’s Museum and rented by the Municipality of Merano for the museum.

1923

1923

In 1923 the Spar- und Vorschusskasse acquired the building. It was the predecessor of today’s Volksbank which still occupies the lower part of the building. The frescoes of the church were documented, partially removed and reapplied in the cloister.

1782

1782

In 1782 Emperor Joseph II closed down many monasteries. The Poor Clares had to leave their religious domicile.

1309

1309

In 1309 the Monastery of the Poor Clares was built in the Meraner Kornplatz by Archduchess Euphemia. For 500 years this foundation shaped the city of Merano. In addition to the church of St. Nikolaus, the church of the monastery was the most important sacred building in the city. The Poor Clares were also the only medieval nunnery in Merano. The monastery was the center of the devotion to Saint Mary, it was a school for young girls, hosted local brotherhoods and guilds, and was a cemetery of many local citizens and aristocrats.

Current Exhibition

Exhibition TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS Birth Cultures
Birth concerns us all. Like death, it affects every human being without exception. The conditions that accompany pregnancy and birth shape our lives. Birth culture is the way a society shapes the start of life and the conditions it creates for it. The exhibition tells stories of traditional midwifery knowledge and medical achievements, of the worldwide rituals surrounding birth and the creation myths that have led to it. It provides insight into the everyday and living culture of human beings, helps us understand physiological processes, takes into account current findings and questions the possibilities of today’s reproductive technology. A Cultural History of Birth also addresses issues like women’s history, hostility to the body, power, capital, and basic human rights. The exhibition forms the starting point of the Creative Europe project “Birth Cultures”. It will be shown for the first time in 2020 at the Frauenmuseum Hittisau (Austria) and will subsequently be presented in an adapted form at the Center of Gender Culture in Charkiw (Ukraine), at La Bonne Centre de Cultura de Dones Francesca Bonnemaison in Barcelona (Spain) as well as in the Women’s Museum Merano. The International Association of Women’s Museums (IAWM) provides numerous objects and stories.
building Exhibition 2011
In 2011 the rooms of the museum were officially opened. Since then, it is the Seat of the Women’s Museum, and also of IAWM (International Association of Women’s Museums).