Palatine Stonemason Museum
The Palatine Stonemason Museum (German: Pfälzische Steinhauermuseum) is housed in a listed, historical, timber-framed house on the market place of the village of Alsenz in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Numerous exhibits and documents deal with the history of stonemasonry associated with the use of sandstone rock in the region, from its quarrying to the different processing techniques. The equipment and tools of the stonecutter, the versatility of sandstone, the social history, the life of stonecutters and their families, are the subject of this exhibition.
A display of sandstone samples in the lapidarium shows the variety of sandstone species found in Germany. Fossils and sandstone exhibits from Roman times to the present day, technical film material, lectures and readings and, last but not least, the specialist library provide visitors with comprehensive information on the stonemason's handicraft. A faithfully replicated planning and construction office gives an insight into the way of life in the 19th century. The Stonemason Museum also invites visitors to look at the structures of rock through a microscope and to actively work on sandstone rock using tools. The gallery regularly hosts temporary exhibitions, lectures and readings.
The main topics are technology, tools and instruments, industry and industrial history, everyday culture, handicrafts and traditions, cultural anthropology and folklore, as well as modern and contemporary art.