Peasant cottage from Wichrów, ca. 1830

In the village from which it was brought to the Museum, it was known as wachterka (a watching spot). All successive owners and inhabitants of the hut were probably day-labourers. Their main occupation was to act as a village messenger and a night watchman, therefore the name of the hut preserved in people's memory (German Der Wächter is a caretaker, guard).

It is a hut typical of the poorest social class of the village population living in the north-eastern part of Opole Silesia. Near the hut, a garden was arranged with cultivated herbs and flowers with healing properties. Behind the hut, there is a reconstructed oldest type of well with a well casing made of stone and a wooden well sweep.

The peasant hut from Wichrów belonged to a family of landless day-labourers. It was constructed over the years 1825 – 1830, most probably by its owner, which is indicated by the manner of construction showing poor carpenter's skills, as well as various types of bad quality wood used. It should be assumed that the owner collected construction material for a long period of time, perhaps obtaining it as a payment for his labour. The hut was built outside the village on an unused scarp. The entrance to the hall and the chamber of the building is located in the side wall. The roof is smoothly thatched. The interior is divided into a hall, a chamber located on the right of the hall, and a lard. In the hall, a stone chimney was built with the use of clay mortar. It was also used as a smoke house. In the chamber, there is a baking oven built of stones, with a chimney and a hood. It was used for baking bread until as late as 1950.

Original furniture used by the owners of the hut until 1950s constitutes the equipment from the end of 19th century. The following are the elements of this equipment: a corner bench (grunta), a cupboard . (polica), a hanging shelf (listwica) and a bed on high legs above which a collection of chromolithographs presenting religious themes is hanging. In the hall, there is, among others, a watchman's stick (kij wachtyrski) connected with the function of a village guard performed by the owner of the hut.