The Storage Cellar

To ensure that Heidi and her grandfather “Alpöhi” have enough food for the whole winter, a suitable storage room for storing food is a basic necessity. Until the middle of the 20th century, people were still largely self-sufficient. All food was planted, harvested and processed by themselves. What one could not produce oneself, had to be bought in the Colonial Goods Store: especially salt and sugar, to conserve and flavour the food. Food such as air-dried meat, cheese, vegetables, potatoes and also wine were stored in the cellar, as it ensured a constant temperature. For this reason, the cellar was usually built entirely in the ground and the soil was left untreated. A large part of the food was stored in the cellar, which was hung from the ceiling to protect it from mice.