693 – Wine Press from Schaffhausen SH, 15th Century / 1750

Judging by the gothic arched portals, this building could be the same vineyard mentioned in a wine transport document of 1482. It is literally recorded as the “Paradieser trott”. The main hall of lime-sandstone actually once belonged to the farm domain of the Schaffhausen monastery “Paradis”.

The press building was situated on the Rhyhalde, once part of the wine slopes east of the city of Schaffhausen. Between 1743 and 1750 it was completely rebuilt and enlarged. The sandstone door and window embrasures were transported to the Open-Air Museum, whilst the remainder of the building was built anew here in the condition of 1750.

In German Swiss wine regions these presses were called “Trotte”, “Torggel”, “Driel” or “Prässi”. Mainly grapes were pressed but also apples for fresh cider. Such gigantic presses with booms over ten metres long (33 feet) are documented in several regions for the 14th and 15th centuries. The massive boom presses functioned on the principle of the lever. They exerted a force of several dozen tonnes. Only when industrial presses with direct-acting metal screw spindles were introduced between 1850 and 1900 did the wooden giants become redundant after having served faithfully for centuries.