History of the Museum

A Brief Chronology of the Development of the Lake Dwelling Museum Unteruhldingen

2007	Opening of the ARD/SWR Television Series „Stone Age“ – Living like people did 5000 years ago“. The Stone Age Village 2 is set up.
2006	Extreme low water flow between December and February caused the Lake Dwellings to sit on dry land.
2005	Opening of the project „House of Questions“ and the first 2000 meters of the „Uhldinger Time Trail“.
2004	150 years Lake Dwelling Research. Exhibit Opening „Man at the Lake Dwelling“.
2002	Opening of the new Lake Dwellings in the Bronze Age village 2 modeled after the Late Bronze Age settlement Unteruhldingen.
2001	The 10 millionth visitor - a visitation milestone since 1922.
1999	The Hundred Year Flood at Lake Constance, the exceptionally high water level of 5.65 m (in Konstanz), caused the Lake Dwellings to partially be flooded in the Spring.
1998	Experimental Lake Dwelling of the Stone Age, modeled after the Arbon House (Switzerland), is being constructed next to the Hornstaadhaus.
1997	75 Years Lake Dwellings Unteruhldingen.
1996	Opening of the New Museum building by the Federal President of Germany Dr. Roman Herzog. Reproduction of a Neolithic Lake Dwelling from Hornstaad.
1993	Planting of a Stone and Bronze Age experimental and exhibit garden.
1992	The project „Life in the Neolithic“ sponsored by the Oberschulamt Tübingen turns the Lake Dwellings into a place of learning outside the classroom for students in Baden-Württemberg. First issue of “Platform, a journal of the Lake Dwelling Society at Unteruhldingen.
1990	Prof. Dr. H. Reinerth, Director or the Museum, dies on April 13. His successor as Executive Chairman for Science and Research is Dr. G. Schöbel.
1989	Rebuilding the Wood Workshop.
1976	Easter Saturday: A fire destroys the Bronze Age village. First reopening in the year following.
1972	50 years Lake Dwelling Unteruhldingen.
1954	To mark the 100th anniversary of lake dwelling science, the Research Institute of Prehistory is founded and affiliated with the Lake Dwelling Society.
1952	Ongoing publications of the Society’s journal „Prehistory at Lake Constance“.
1950	The Lake Dwelling Society resumes its works under the direction of Chairman and District Chief Executive Dr. Maier, Überlingen.
1945	Permission for the reopening of the Museum after the fire on Easter Sunday. Restoration of the Museum.
1945	Official resolution of the Lake Dwelling Society, confiscation of the Museum by French occupational forces. Moroccan soldiers move into the Open Air facilities and make themselves at home.
1940	Completing construction of the Neolithic village.
1939	Start of building the Stone Age village 1. Because of the outbreak of the war, the planned demolition of the first houses built in 1922 was abandoned. The plan to construct an artificial island instead of a platform in order to expand the Bronze Age village to 18 houses is not realized.
1938	Due to a resolution of the Lake Dwelling Society, and, within the framework of synchronizing all museums in Germany during the time of National Socialism, the Open Air Museum is incorporated into the German Federation of Prehistory. A model workshop is established. An extension of the museum by a Stone Age village and Teutonic farm is in planning. The Lake Dwelling lakeside swimming pool is demolished.
1934	Set up of the old Museum facility with the finds of the (square) pit excavation in Sipplingen (1929/30) and with the private collection of former mayor Georg Sulger, Unteruhldingen. Membership of the Lake Dwelling Society in the Reichsbund for German Prehistory .
1931	The Bronze Age Village 1 according to the model Wasserburg Buchau, is constructed under the direction of Dr. H. Reinerth.
1925	Building of a „Lake Dwelling lakeside swimming pool“ instead of the planned Bronze Age village.
1923	The planned expansion of the Lake Dwelling is postponed because of financial problems and tensions with the University of Tübingen. Construction of the “platform” for the Bronze Age Village 1.
1922	Reconstruction of the Lake Dwellings under direction of the Urgeschichtlichen Forschungsinstituts Tübingen, Prof. R.R. Schmidt, Dr. H. Reinerth (Research Institute for Prehistory Tübingen) by the Lake Dwelling Society.
1922	Founding of the Society of Lake Dwelling Archeology and Regional Ethnology (Vereins für Pfahlbau- und Heimatkunde e.V.) by George Sulger and enthusiastic friends of Prehistory in Unteruhldingen on March 12.