A look back at the time of the Anabaptist persecution and a look at the history of transport are the focus of a visit to this interesting museum.

The Schwarzenburg region was one of the centers of the Anabaptist movement and thus also of persecution for centuries. The Reformation created a close connection between public and ecclesiastical power. However, the Anabaptists rejected any state interference in religious matters. For them, only the will of God, as derived from the Bible, was valid. Because they consequently refused to swear an oath to authority and to perform military service, they were considered a threat to the state and brutally persecuted until the 18th century.

Until before the First World War, the railway enjoyed a de facto transport monopoly. Compared to horse-and-cart transport, it provided a tremendous boost to development from the mid-19th century onwards and was crucial for the development of a region. However, it was also an expensive means of transport. The automobile soon evolved from a derided curiosity to a serious competitor to the railways. While there were still many plans for further railway construction in Switzerland, they were now outdated and disappeared into the archives, such as the project for an electric narrow-gauge railway from Thun to Freiburg from 1912 to 1915, presented in the museum. The route shown on a detailed map coincides almost exactly with the present-day Way of St. James, which gives pilgrims a special connection to this project of economic and historical interest.

Starting point:
Village center of Schwarzenburg

Time required:
1 hour

Info:
www.regionalmuseum.com. Guided tours are also available outside of opening hours.

Public transport:
Schwarzenburg train station