Gewerkenhaus - Administrator House

The late Middle Ages were the blooming period of mining in Leogang, and the massive profits led to a flourishing of art in the region. The Administrator House was built in 1593. Until the beginning of the 19th century, the house was an administrative building of the local mines. An exhibition of the Museum of Mining and Gothic Art Leogang is dedicated to Michael Hofer, one of the last mining administrators in Leogang who was a gifted painter and a pioneer of tourism industry.

In 1989, the mayor of Leogang, Matthias Scheiber, and the head of the community office, Hermann Mayrhofer, now director of the Museum of Mining and Gothic Art Leogang, succeeded in buying the Administrator House for the village from the Republic of Austria. The newly founded Leogang Mining Museum Association had the building restored to its original state and established the Museum of Mining and Gothic Art Leogang.

Prof. Mayrhofer started the museum from scratch, without any exhibits. He wanted to document and preserve the identity of the village. His motto is: „To know your origin is to know your current place and your future“.

After several blockbuster exhibitions, the museum was subterraneously extended by 250 sqm in 2003 thanks to sponsorship from a leadership programme. This extension is now home to Rudolf Leopold’s famous Gothic collection, the Carl von Frey Collection and the Kuno Mayer Collection, which increase the high standing of the museum.

In 2019, the Administrator House and the carefully renovated Thurnhaus were joined by an underground passageway. The impressive development of our museum proves that museums located in rural areas are absolutely capable of meeting present-day challenges. Big dreams can come true, if there is commitment, passion, sociability and personal endeavour.