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:Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.
The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.
These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.