Bajuwarii Museum

the ancestors of modern Bavaria

The Bajuwarii are back in Waging! Reopening on May 11, 2008!
At the freshly remodeled Bajuwarii Museum in Waging am See, you will be able to learn more about the lives of the very first Wagingers.

A smiling face on a magnificent garment fastener from the 6^th century A.D. will welcome future visitors to the newly remodeled Bajuwarii Museum in Waging. It has been set on a so-called Bügelfibel, a fastener made of gilded silver that only the wealthiest of ladies in the sixth century would have been able to afford. On this small piece of jewelry, the goldsmiths were able to demonstrate their imagination – in addition to the smiling face, you can also make out numerous other details on this brooch: a second pair of eyes, a large animal’s head, eagles’ beaks, ribbed snake bodies, gaping animal mouths. The significance of what is portrayed remains a riddle since barely any written sources exist from those times. Presumably, however, this ancient “smiley” is a depiction of Christ, a Christ who gives us a friendly smile, even in the midst of chaos – as symbolized by the wild animal world. By the mid-sixth century, the Bajuwarii had already been officially converted to Catholic Christianity. Even though we don’t know how they truly practiced their faith, depictions such as that found on this jewelry most definitely attest to the existence of Christianity back then.