Traveling in France: Strasbourg (Part 3 of 4)

Our visit to Strasbourg continues.

Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace, is home to a sizable museum dedicated to Alsatian history and culture, the Musée Alsacien.    The museum, opened in 1907, is housed in a large Alsatian-style home along the river Ill.  The museum's collection spans the 1600's to the 1900's.  The founding of the museum is partly due to the German annexation of Alsace following the War of 1870.  The founders sought to preserve Alsatian culture in response to governmental efforts to make Alsace more German.  

Let's take a tour of the museum.

The Alsace region is a mix of cities, farms and mountains.

Below is a model of typical Alsatian farm house, plus an actual wall from a farmhouse.

Alsatian farmhouse furniture was colorfully decorated.

The Alsatians knew how to stay warm during the cold months.  Check out the bed below, plus two heaters. 

The ceramic heater above was ideal for warming a cold room and for drying the laundry on racks.

Below are two recreated rooms filled with genuine artifacts.

Below, the museum was decorated for Christmas.  Did you know that the Christmas tree was an Alsatian invention?  Neither did we.  Take a look.

Below is a recreated Alsatian shop.

The Alsatians knew a thing or two about catching rats.

The scene above depicts a pair newlyweds.

Traditional Alsatian clothing is unique.  Jean-Claude especially admires the headwear.

Alsatians knew toys for children.  One type of toy was a miniature oven, like the two pictured below.  Are they early versions of the "Easy-Bake Oven"?  

While touring the museum, we learned about other Alsatian Christmas traditions.

The Christmas tradition even includes the two figures below.  Whether you are naughty or nice determines which figure will visit you at Christmastime.  

While Alsace claims many firsts, Alsace does not claim the invention of the modern image of Santa Claus.  Instead, credit is given to Coca-Cola.  No joke.  

The museum credits the Alsatian tradition of Christmas markets to German culture.  Alsace in general and Strasbourg in particular can be credited with introducing Christmas markets throughout modern France.  

One interesting artifact was a carved wooden bung of a wine cask, a twin-tailed mermaid (pictured below).  Jean-Claude thinks the Starbucks logo closely resembles it.   

Two other artifacts caught the attention of Jean-Claude.  One is the toilet chair pictured below.  What is especially interesting is the small stool in front of the toilet. Is it an early "Squatty Potty"?

The other artifact is pictured below.  Pop Quiz:  Can you explain the artifact's function?

Next Up:  Modern art in Strasbourg.

P.S.  Answer:  The device pictured above is a portable, foldable birthing chair used by a midwife ("sage-femme") who traveled from town to town and farm to farm.  Be sure to note the handles on the arms.