La Nef des Jouets

Attention!
Jean-Richard Haeusser, former head architect of the Liebfrauenstiftung (Münster) in Strasbourg, has long shared a passion for toys with his wife Joëlle, a teacher. Over the years they have compiled a huge collection, which is now on permanent exhibition in the former Commandery of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem or the Maltese Order. This building is now known as the “Nave of Toys”. Along with highly developed toys such as steam engines and locomotives, richly dressed dolls with porcelain heads and all accessories, pedal cars and mini cars, we also find really simple playthings, from all ages and all countries, toys that were made by parents, grandparents and children themselves. They often demonstrate great ingenuity and imagination and are a source of constant amazement. Among all these playthings the construction toys display the greatest creativity. Although there are numerous and beautiful toys among the industrial products, those made by fathers or grandfathers seem even more precious, for example, puppet theatres, tin merry-go-rounds…