bedroom
In the 12th century, a tower was build to accomodate the private appartments of the countal family. This room consists of the second storey of this once free standing building, now attached on three sides to other constructions. It had a chimney, still visible today, to heat the room.
When the main kitchen was installed in the ground floor of this tower, the room lost much space. Approximately the space now covered with the carpet and the bed was taken by the huge chimney now cutting through the room. This chimney has not been rebuild.
At the time when the main kitchen was operational, there was no more use for the old chimney. The room ceased to be a dwelling for noble people, and possibly was no dwelling at all. At least the medieval windows have not been changed here, as they have in all other appartments.
NOTE: Todays display does not reflect the use of this place in the 17th - 18th century !
historic character display: Agnes van Mombeek
The wife of the General Bailiff of the county of Vianden Eustache of
Muenichhausen. He was a venerated hero as he fought off an attack on
St. Vith (part of viandenese domains) with only a handful of soldiers
against 1200 infantry and 500 cavalry in 1593. He was commemorated at
Vianden Castle with the private apartments of his family having been
named after him.
Agnes was a socially critical lady. She felt uncomfortable with the
huge number of executions in Luxembourg city. So she arranged for
the erection of a cross near the way to the gallows for the souls of the
convicted. This place is still today called “Val St. Croix”
chamber maid
Household personnel was recruited from the subjects of the county. So most of them came from the town of Vianden or the surrounding villages. They worked and lived on the castle on a permanent basis, only for special occasons (as the spring clearout) additional women were hired for doing all the washing and mending.
This late 16th century maid has a dress made of linen, which is well suited for the homework in interiors , robust and easy to clean. The coif is a double cap typical for the era
canopy bed
this 17th century baroque bed has been purchased at Dijon, France
​
Canopy beds seem shorter than they are, due to the high roof lining. Actually they are more or less the same length than modern beds. Contrary to common belief people can quite well lie in them.
​
In the middle ages, when many people slept in oe room, curtains provided some privacy for the nobility. Later, with detiorating climate, canopies and curtains were added to keep some warmth inside the bed room. Like the bed, many things in this room are designed for keeping warmth
renaissance chest
while most chests were very heavy constructions, not to be moved around a lot, trunks like this one were designed for travelling. The construction is much lighter, the trunk lid is rounded and the whole trunk reinforced with steel strips to protect it against shocks during travel.
​
Chests and trunks were the main furniture for keeping goods as clothes, dishes, and all other kind of costum items.
"throne"
seats with incorporated chests under the seat were very common. Usually it were banks, but there also exist chairs like the one you can see here.
​
One might have used them as a toilet by installing a bucket under the seat, but this was not the main aim.
​
This piece is neo-gothic from the 19th century
bed warmer & feet warmer
the bed warmer looks a little bit like a frying pan. The lid can be opend and the interior of the pan filled with embers. The hot pan would then be slided over the bed surface just before going to bed, so that the sheets are well temperatured. This bed warmer is from late 17th - beginning 18th century.
​
the feet warmer was used - especially by women - to warm up their feet. Shoes had leather soles and the stone or tile floor coverings could be quite cold. For women the feet warmer had a secondary effect: Covering their skirts over the warmer the warmth also got to the legs. Inside the wooden case of the feet warmer there is a clay brazier wich would be filled with embers. On paintings one can often see these braziers being used as "ash trays" for pipes. This feet warmer is a copy of the one depicted on Vermeer's "Milkmaid".
​
​
cast iron chimney panel
the luxembougish name for these cast iron plates is "Taak", and they were very common in the area. Usually they were put into openings between kitchen and living room to serve as a heater for the living room (see also "Taakeschaaf" in this room)
​
This one shows the imperial arms of Emeror Charles V and dates from mid-16th century.
Donation by M. Victor Abens
Renaissance Cupboard
a warderobe from the first half of the 17th century, renmaisssance style, walnut
​
Interesting about this piece of furniture are the three heads on top showing 17th century portraits.
​
It is possible that this warderobe origins from Vianden Castle and was part of the furniture of the Orange House
​
donation from the Lambert family from Vielsalm (B)
cupboard in Trier-luxembourgish style
made of oak in the first half of the 18th century, origin Colmarhof (L)
The door panels are structured in a typical 5-field manner. This is unique to the Trier-Luxembourg region.
​
While such furniture would rather belong into a rich farmhouse or a wealthy townhouse, they may nevertheless be found inside a castle in the dwellings of servants.
"Takeschaaf"
to the visitor's side of the room there is a decorated oak/ash/pear closet originating from Kalborn mill in the upper Our valley. Such closets would typically be situated in the living room in the wall adjoicent to the kitchen. When the inferior doors are opend they give sight of an iron plate ("Taak"), being the only seperation between the two rooms. On the other side the hearth fire heats up the plate which is used for heating up the living room. The iron panel inside the chimney is such a "Taak"
