History

The museum has its origins in the Museum Association founded by the citizens of Ried in 1910 with the aim of preventing the sale of the famous Kögl nativity scene by Johann Peter Schwanthaler the Elder. The intention was to establish a Schwanthaler Museum, but the collection soon expanded to include items from agricultural and everyday life. 20 years later, it comprised some 5,000 exhibits. But it was still lacking a building to keep them in. That changed in 1933, when the curator of the Museum Association, Max Bauböck, succeeded in convincing Priest Johann Veichtlbauer to leave his collection of religious folk art to the town of Ried. In return, he demanded that the many rare and interesting items be given their own building. The parish stable was chosen. Veichtlbauer donated around 5,500 items, along with some 30,000 depictions of saints and devotional images. The name, the “Innviertel Museum of Folklore”, was chosen at the request of the founder.