Do Poets Grow on the Trees Here? Visiting Peter Rosegger

In his Krieglach summer house, now the Rosegger Museum, Peter Rosegger received numerous visits from friends, acquaintances and admirers. Among them were well-known personalities of his time such as Hans and Gina von Reininghaus, the composer Wilhelm Kienzl, the poet Karl Morré, the writer Franz Karl Ginzkey, the sculptor Hans Brandstetter and the sound artist Johannes Brahms. But also many non-public friends, relatives and above all admirers visited Rosegger in his rural summer residence.

Visits were a duty of decency and education for the bourgeoisie and nobility in the 19th and early 20th century. Certain rules had to be observed. The visit, also called „Visite“, had to take place at the right time, in the right clothes and with correct behavior. The same applied to the person receiving the visit. There were also rules for friendly visits, but these were somewhat less rigorous.

On the occasion of the 180th anniversary of the birth of the great Styrian, this special exhibition tells in short anecdotes about these different visitors and shows partly forgotten, but also still today common customs in connection with decorum and friendly visits or even overnight guests.