The open-air museum at Bunge is a folk museum which shows how the Gotlandic peasants of the past lived. The museum's creator, schoolteacher Th. Erlandsson (1869-1953), moved to Bunge from central Gotland at the end of the 19th century. At that time most of Gotland's old buildings had already disappeared and he decided to try to save those that remained. Many local people also became interested in this idea and a piece of land was obtained from the Church. It was to this land that old buildings threatened with demolition could be transported.The first buildings arrived in 1908 – a couple of very old houses from Biskops in the parish of Bunge.
In total there are about 77 buildings at the museum site. There are also picture stones, only to be found on Gotland. The oldest type is from the 5th century, and is believed to be a grave stone.The four much taller picture stones, from the 8th century, are more likely to be memorial stones, although graves are often found nearby.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.