This spacious room was once the most comfortable room in the house. It was here that the master of the house received his guests, where meals were eaten, evenings were spent and sometimes people slept.
The Stub is a ceremonial room that still has its moulded ceiling and panelling.
In the corner on the left, there is a hotplate stove fed from the kitchen, as well as a taque depicting the death of Absalon*. Originally, the taque was the only means of heating the room: it radiated the heat it received from the kitchen hearth. This typically Lorraine-style heating system was introduced in the 18th century.
In the right-hand corner is the Hergotts Wenkel (God’s corner), a religious space reserved for domestic devotions, such as reciting the rosary as a family, or praying in the evening… The real place would be in the left-hand corner, which is the most important point of the house, the corner that supports the building and where, in timber-framed houses, is the corner post decorated with symbols and inscriptions.
In this Stub stands a weaving loom. Until the dawn of the 20th century, this was a sideline activity on the farms of the Val de Villé. The fabrics made by the farmers were delivered to the merchants in Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines.
We go up to the first floor…
- ABSALON : 10th century BC. Son of David. Revolted against his father and defeated in battle, he fled, but his hair got caught in the branches of a tree and he hung there. Joab, who was pursuing him, killed him.