The school museum in Tagusa, Castelrotto
In Tagusa, a hamlet of Castelrotto, was established a school museum. It is worth to visit the museum when you stay at the Altipiano dello Sciliar. The school museum was opened in 1995. The school museum is the only school building in South Tyrol obtained from the period of Fascism.
You come across Tesimo toward Tagusa by the narrow road if you continue scarce about five kilometers. The trip to Tagusa clarified, that the hamlet is located far away from the events of the day. Between meadows the road winds up to Tagusa. If you notice that in the 18th Century, the mobility was not nearly as advanced as today, you can imagine that children of Tagusa have had a hard time pursuing their compulsory education if there had not been a school in this hamlet!
First the lessons were given in the farmhouse parlors or in the rectory, by the year 1933 a private school building was erected in Tagusa. Only in 1993, the school was closed.
Excellent insight into the history of the school
The school museum gives impressive insights into the former school life in Tagusa. The deceased mayor of Castelrotto, Mr. Vincent Karbon, has espouse nor for the opening of the school museum. Here you can visit a fully furnished classroom.
Even before you come into the classroom, you well be remembered to the former school life. At the entrance area the old coat hooks on the walls are still present. It seems to be yesterday when you see the entrance area hanging examples of some pieces of clothing - from the traditional jacket to the skirt. In addition, in the entrance area, where the children spent their breaks in bad weather, you see pictures of fairy tales, class photos and drawings of the former teacher.
You should take time to explore the old classroom. You can start with the old school desks and then discover the teaching and learning materials in the museum and much more of the former school. The walls are equipped with pictures of Andreas Hofer, Emperor Franz Josef I and with photos from the Bible. Also the walls decorate maps from the time of Emperor Franz Josef, when this area was still part of the Austria-Hungarian Empire.
In the classroom, where even until 46 pupils were taught at the same time, are also still slide rule, hundreds and thousands of boards, old books, typewriters, fountain pens etc. to admire. Today it is almost unbelievable, but the children were all in one housed class – from the first to the fourth class. Only the teacher, who did not comes from village, changed every year and lived in the school building on the first floor. Here, where in former times didn´t even exist flowing water, the school life in the hamlet was extremely different of the school life in the cities. The objects that teachers used are not as badly worn-out as in the educational centers of the cities. This is an advantage for those who wish to inform in the school museum of Tagusa about the former school and education history.
Opening times
To get to the school museum, you have to drive through the road to the end of Tagusa. Before you reach the church you find the school museum on the left side. This is open from Easter to All Saints on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 10 a. m. and 4 p. m. The entrance to the museum is free. It is possible to spend money, with which you can recognize the loving equipment of the school museum.