Alpenpanorama

Connected by dozens of leather straps and ropes and animated by a hand crank (today an electric motor), the Alpine panorama shows the everyday life of the rural population around 1900 in a unique way.

The Alpine panorama is an electromechanical work of art that is rarely seen today. It was built around the turn of the century by a locksmith from Purgstall an der Erlauf, Mr. Leopold Steindl. Over the course of several years, he lovingly put the work together in his spare time.

Mr. Steindl also built the mechanical nativity scene in Maria Taferl around 1903. He also used the basic ideas of the figures depicted and the technique for his Alpine panorama. However, when comparing the two works of art, the Alpine Panorama clearly shows the further development of its creator.

In contrast to the Mechanical Nativity Scene, which always had a fixed location, Mr. Steindl initially presented the Alpine Panorama at fairs and fairgrounds. Since 1949, however, the Alpine Panorama has also had a permanent place in the center of Maria Taferl.