Current special exhibition

Of rulers and magnificient hair

History of the hairstyle in the 18th and 19th century

from 17th June 2022 to 15th November 2023

Artistic curls, wigs or short haircuts: hairstyles are a reflection of fashion history. They changed over the centuries, emphasizing social status and personality.

The special exhibition at Wolfsthurn Castle traces two centuries of hair fashion based on portraits of the noble family von Sternbach, supplemented by biographical data of the portrayed and linked to the history of ownership of Wolfsthurn.

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Special exhibitions archive

On this page you will find an overview of previous special exhibitions.

  • 2016/17
    Farms without men: women’s everyday life in World War I

    from 1st April 2016 to 15th November 2017

    In this special exhibition photographs, letters, personal mementos, interviews, etc. provided insights in what it meant for women on farms to cope with work and daily life only with the help of children, adolescents, elderly people, whilst the men were at war.

  • 2011
    NEW! Artefacts from the collection of the Hunting and Fishing Museum

    from 17th June to 15th November 2011

    Along with preserving, exhibiting and mediating, collecting is one of the main tasks of a museum. The museum objects form the heart of every collection and are the basis for exhibitions and research.
    In addition to hunting and fishing items, the collection in Wolfsthurn Castle also includes objects of folk art, decorated with hunting, game and fishing motifs.
    In the special exhibition in 2011, the museum displayed the new acquisitions from the previous years.

  • 2009
    Tyroleans! Go ahead! The noble family Sternbach and the Year Nine

    from 16th June to 15th November 2009

    The South Tyrolean Museum of Hunting and Fishing, Wolfsthurn Castle in Mareit, participated with a special exhibition in the cultural program for the commemorative year 2009. The exhibition was dedicated to two members of the Sternbach family who were involved in the events in 1809. 

    Therese von Sternbach
    from Mühlau near Innsbruck resisted the French and the Bavarians. She supported her compatriots with money and weapons, gave courage to the fighting people and was not frightened by French and Bavarian accommodation in her residence. Her courageous behavior led her to prison in Munich and Strasbourg. In 1821, Emperor Francis I honored her services with the award of the gold medal of honor.
    Eduard von Sternbach
    from the family line of Mareit was involved in the transfer of Andreas Hofer's remains from Mantua to Innsbruck in 1823. Together with other captains, he opened Hofer's grave and brought the remains of the Sandwirt to Innsbruck. The Emperor in Vienna then ordered a dignified funeral and burial in the Hofkirche. 

    Personal objects, portraits and drawings told of an eventful time and reminded of an important Tyrolean noble family.

  • 2007 + 2008
    Uniforms and silk garments - The Tyrolean nobility's clothing

    from 9th June 2007 to 15th November 2008

    Clothing accompanies people through their lives. It protects the body, changes continuously, is a means of communication and a mirror of society. The noble’s clothing was a visible sign of social status and belonging, at the Viennese court as well as in rural Tyrol, on festive occasions and in everyday life. The embroidered silk vests of the 18th century point to a social rank, the colorful uniforms of the 19th century to the Tyrolean nobility and court offices. The ladies emphasized their position in society with expensive silk clothes and jewelry.
    All the displayed items of clothing and accessories belong to the holdings of Wolfsthurn Castle.

  • 2006
    The Baron's dream - Franz Andrä von Sternbach and Wolfsthurn Castle

    from 1st July to 15th November 2006

    Wolfsthurn until 1725
    The baroque castle was built between 1727 and 1741. The construction was preceded by long considerations and plans, which are preserved in over 40 historical plans and sketches. The plans from the Wolfsthurn Castle archive tell the building story from the idea to the realization. 

    Wolfsthurn as the tower of the wolves
    The beginnings of the castle above Mareit are in the dark. In 1242 Albert III from Tyrol bought the original tower. He gave it to Rudolfus Lupus as a fief. Lupus belonged to the family of the Wölfe (wolves) from the Wipptal, so the wolves gave the tower its name.
    The family of the Wölfe died out at the end of the 15th century, the castle came into the possession of the Grebmer family in 1574. 200 years later it passed to the Sternbach family.
    Four watercolors by Johann Georg Prunner show what the old Wolfsthurn Castle complex looked like, which has been rebuilt and expanded over the centuries: two capture Wolfsthurn's view "from old age", the other two reflect the state of 1725.