Hermann Toll – Giving a Voice to Local Memory

When Hermann Toll speaks about the “Hoamet-Tramin Museum,” it’s not just a description – it’s an invitation. Anyone listening quickly realizes: this isn’t someone who simply leads guided tours. This is someone who doesn’t archive history – but brings it to life.

“We only understand the present if we know where we come from.” That sentence could easily be his – even if he’s never said it quite like that. But it embodies how he lives and works. Since 2007, Hermann Toll has been the driving force behind exhibitions, collections and curation at the Hoamet-Tramin Museum in the village center. Together with his wife Vroni, who shares his passion, he brings heart and precision to the museum. Neither of them is employed there – they do it out of deep conviction. And you can feel it, see it, experience it.

From Village Museum to Place of Encounter

The Hoamet-Tramin Museum was founded in 1989 in a historic 15th-century building on the main square. It was intended to be a traditional local museum – a farmhouse parlour, costumes, tools. But Hermann Toll had a larger vision. He wasn’t interested in nostalgia alone, but in stories, connections, and development over time. Thanks in part to his involvement, the museum has grown significantly. Today, it houses eleven exhibition rooms across three floors: from Gewürztraminer wines from around the world, to the Egetmann parade, to Roman archaeological finds.

“Every object has a story. You just have to look closely – and listen.”

Toll has played a central role in expanding the museum and curating many special exhibitions. Most recently, he led the development of the new Roman section. His work is not just about artifacts, but about people. About stories. About understanding what “home” means.

“Someone has to do it.”

Hermann Toll isn’t someone who seeks the spotlight. When asked why he has been so involved for so many years, he replies simply: “Someone has to do it.” But it’s clear: without him, the museum wouldn’t be what it is today. He knows every corner, every display case, every photograph. He knows which tool belonged to which trade, and why a dinosaur footprint ended up here in Tramin.

And he doesn’t know these things from books. He knows them because he talks to people. He asks questions. Documents. Collects. Shares. And he often says:

 “We need to keep this. It’s part of who we are.”

Deep Roots and a Broad View

Hermann Toll has lived in Tramin for 45 years. From a young age, he was interested in history and cultural heritage – past and present. Alongside his professional work as a program editor and radio host at Rai Alto Adige/Südtirol, he has long dedicated himself to preserving local culture. In 2007, a year after retiring, he officially became the museum’s curator – although, in truth, he had already been one for years. Because for him, it’s not about the title. It’s about the attitude.

“Some say everything used to be better. I say: it was different. And that’s what we want to show.”

A Museum with Soul

Today, the Hoamet-Tramin Museum is much more than a local history museum. It is a place of encounter. An archive of memories. And a living example of what volunteer work can achieve. The collection includes everyday objects, agricultural tools, historical documents, one of the largest Gewürztraminer wine collections in Europe, and regularly changing special exhibitions. School classes, tourists, locals – they all come. And many stay longer than expected.

“History has no end. Only ever new beginnings.”

Anyone wanting to learn more should visit the museum in person. On Wednesdays, you’ll likely find Hermann Toll there. And then, history becomes the present.

(Interview Erica Furini)

September 2025