Peter MitterhoferThe inventor of the typewriter

Peter Mitterhofer, born in 20.09.1822 and † 27.08.1893, in Partschins is known as the inventor of the typewriter, carpenter, and gifted tinkerer and inventor. The house of Peter Mitterhofer is first mentioned as the "Zimmerhaus im Obergarten" in a document dating to 1431. Peter Mitterhofer (1822-1893) lived in this house in Partschins for 31 years and developed five typewriter models in his workshop there; the first of these prototypes was also the earliest of its kind, in 1864. It is known that Peter Mitterhofer designed five different typewriter models during the period between 1864 and 1869. The first model (1864, The Unsuccessful) is housed today at the Technical Museum of Industry and Commerce in Vienna. The second model was discovered accidentally in 1911 hidden in a secret compartment in the attic of Peter Mitterhofer’s house in Partschins. The third model remains missing to this day – although Peter Mitterhofer travelled with it from Partschins to Vienna on foot in 1866. The fourth model (the Meran model) was created in 1866. This model is on display at the Palais Mamming City Museum in Meran. Peter Mitterhofer completed his fifth typewriter prototype in 1869 (the Wien model). It was his intention to build a perfectly functioning typewriter.

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Murales Töll

A late birthday present for a brilliant inventor

The large mural that has been on display alongside the Etsch cycle path on the Töll is a gift to the inventor of the typewriter Peter Mitterhofer. It is there to commemorate the 200th anniversary of his birth on 20th September 2022. The Murales is located directly on the Etsch cycle path in Töll at the wall of the Texel cooperative and can only be reached on foot or by bike on the cycle path.

What to see in Partschins, Rabland and Töll

Museums

Museums in Partschins, Rabland and Töll

The Typewriter Museum in Partschins

Church square, Partschins, Phone +39 0473 967 581 –www.typewritermuseum.com

The Peter Mitterhofer Typewriter Museum (Schreibmaschinenmuseum) in Partschins is named after its inventor. In the museum, there are as many as 2,000 exhibits documenting the evolution of the typewriter from its humble beginnings until the advent of the computer. The exhibition includes 1,400 machines including rarities such as the Enigma, an early 20th Century German-made machine mainly used to encrypt military communications.

Opening times

April - October:

Monday 2 - 6 p.m. / Tuesday - Friday 10 - 12 a.m. & 2 - 6 p.m. / Saturday 10 - 12 a.m.

November - March:

Tuesday 10 - 12 a.m.

Closed on Sunday and during holidays.

Train world museum in Rabland

Gerold square, Rabland, Phone +39 0473 521 460 –www.eisenbahnwelt.eu

The Train World Museum in Rabland near Partschins is a magnet for visitors of all ages. Spread across more than 1,000 m2, the digital model railway takes up three floors and is the largest in Italy. Comprising 20,000 pieces, 40 running trains, 400 vehicles, 7,000 figurines and with railway tracks totaling 400 m, the impressive 1:87 scale model is one of the largest private collections in Europe. Junior visitors can take turns driving a model train through surprisingly realistic landscapes. The main 130 m2 Train World Museum complex is located on the top floor, representing a miniaturized South Tyrol.

Opening times

April - November:

Sunday - Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Closed on Saturday.

The Royal & Imperial Bad Egart Museum

Bahnhofstraße 17, Töll, Phone +39 0473 967 342 –www.bad-egart.com

Mentioned in the records dating back to 1430, the Bad Egart spa in Bahnhofstraße street in Töll was built on an ancient hot spring in Tyrol. The ancient Romans utilized water from three springs as a drink for its curative effects as well as for various treatments. With the arrival of the railway line in the early 20th Century, Bad Egart enjoyed a period of significant prosperity and Empress Elisabeth, the Empress of Austria and Hungary, spent time there. In 1956 the spa closed only to reopen as a museum and traditional mountain restaurant. Today it houses the Royal & Imperial Bad Egart Museum with a sizeable collection of memorabilia from the Austro-Hungarian period, including numerous antique photographs and some personal effects belonging to Empress Elisabeth and Emperor Franz Joseph.

Opening times

April - November:

Tuesday - Sunday 10.30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Closed on Monday.