Narrow house in Eisenach
The half-timbered house at Johannisplatz 9 in Eisenach , known as the “ Schmales Haus von Eisenach ” or “ Handtuch ” ( towel house ), is one of the narrowest and smallest inhabited houses in Germany. It is only 2.05 m wide and has a floor area of 20 m². A height of 8.50 m gives the building two floors. The exact year of construction of the narrow house is unknown, but it is estimated to be around 250 years old.
history
On December 4, 1900, EISENACHER TAGESPOST wrote: “As a rule, a sight in the city of Eisenach is hardly noticed by the swarm of tourists. Most are satisfied with visiting the Wartburg. Eisenach, however, has one of the smallest or the smallest houses in the civilized world. ... Tall stately buildings will soon narrow it down. Then its tiny appearance will attract more attention than has been the case before. "
In No. 60 of that newspaper of March 12, 1903, the following is written about the house:
" The Koehler house on Johannisplatz, which because of its tiny dimensions in many illustrated newspapers in Germany has been immortalized, a new facade will be received. The necessary work has started today. "
Before this renovation could begin, however, the then owner Wilhelm Köhler, hotel servant and porter, had to fight for his house. The city council had wanted to demolish the building because it stood in the way of the construction of new larger houses. However, since the owner vehemently opposed this, the preservation of the Schmales Haus was secured with the help of the Grand Ducal District Director and the Grand Ducal State Ministry in Weimar. The master carpenter Gustav Voigt supported the renovation of the facade according to the Art Nouveau style of the founding years , and so tourists can still see the artistic front of the house today.
For a long time after the renovation, from 1902 to 1903, the entrance area of the narrow house was used as a sales point for fruit, vegetables and tropical fruits. Luise Fritsch, the organizer of the business, became the owner of the entire building around 1940.
Due to a new coat of paint on the facade of the narrow house, it was called the narrow "towel" from 1941 onwards. This term comes from a letter from the building police in Eisenach regarding the renovation.
The last change of owner for the time being was in 1974. Klaus Trippstein rebuilt the half-timbered house, which was threatened with decay and demolition, step by step with friends and acquaintances and carried out a complete restoration of the house facade in 1983 and 2000. Since 1991 there is a small gallery inside with pictures, ceramic exhibits, sculptures and historical furniture.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b website of the house ( Memento of the original from May 5, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Coordinates: 50 ° 58 ′ 27.8 ″ N , 10 ° 19 ′ 27.5 ″ E