HO Waldniel house

Model: HO gauge. Lasercut kit made of colored architectural cardboard. Dimensions L x W x H: 175 x 147 x 85 mm. Precise scale replication of the building in the Lower Rhine Open-Air Museum in Grefrath in the Viersen district. The Modellbahn Union in cooperation with the Grefrath open-air museum authentically replicates the museum buildings as models in 1:87 and 1: 160. This house, which belongs to the Waldniel courtyard in the open-air museum, comes from Waldniel in today’s Schwalmtal municipality. The building was originally a half-timbered house, in which large parts of the facade were replaced by field fires in 1785. The small barn belonging to the courtyard from 1802 and the large one, which was built in 1791, come from other Lower Rhine farms. The carriage house is a reconstruction from around 1800.Overall, the courtyard is typical of the 19th century. The advancing industrialization brought changes on the farms. Many small farmers and day laborers had to look for work in the factories because what they earned on the farms was no longer sufficient for a living. The freedom of trade led to great competition and thus high price pressure, which many could not withstand. In addition, women had to replace the workforce that had been lost as a result of the migration of men to urban factories. Wealthy owners modernized and enlarged their yards. But living conditions also changed: with increasing health awareness and the knowledge of modern medicine, the demands on hygiene and thus on the sanitary facilities increased. Flowing water, toilets and bathrooms were used more and more.