The Auer-von-Welsbach Museum owes its origin to the interest of the Municipality Althofen with Mayor Dir. Manfred Mitterdorfer to give the largely restored, medieval old town an attractive and to the place suitable attraction.
For this purpose, the old town was equipped with a gas-incandescent street lighting, on the one hand to enhance the romantic effect of the historic architecturally attractive buildings and to commemorate the creator of this lighting technology, which was the beginning of inventor activity of Dr. Carl Auer von Welsbach.
Thus, for the great explorer, inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Carl Auer von Welsbach in the region of his many years of successful work with this museum in the sense of Althofen's fellow citizens under the direction of Roland Adunka, created a worthy memorial in 1998.
The Auer von Welsbach-Museum, located between the church and Fronfeste, promises to fulfill both wishes. In carefully adapted museum rooms in an architecturally and historically valuable building from the 12th and 13th century, its visitors can get an overview of the extensive work of one of the most important Austrian inventor and scientist.
He is considered by connoisseurs worldwide to be among the most talented of his many subjects.