Toys

Langnau was no longer a purely rural village from the 18th century at the latest. As a commercial and industrial center, Langnau had a strong middle-class character, which is reflected in the collection and in the “Child, Play and Family” exhibition rooms.
The toys in the collection are clearly divided into boys’ and girls’ toys.
Soldier figures, castles and other war toys were intended for boys.
Girls, on the other hand, played with dolls and toy kitchens and thus became accustomed to domestic life at an early age.
The collection of baby carriages, baby and underwear, toiletries and silk dresses with their elaborate knitting and sewing were produced at a time when middle-class women’s lives were limited to the home and family and they therefore had time for elaborate handicrafts.
From 2002-2021, under the then museum director, Madeleine Ryser, a selection of toys were added to the museum collection to document the bourgeoisie in Langnau i.E..
The objects come from middle-class households in German-speaking Switzerland, mainly from the early 20th century.