Pellerhaus

Last updated
The current south facade, "Mayerhaus" from 1957 (photographed in 2013). Nurnberg -- 2013-09-06 und 07 --Mattes (33).JPG
The current south facade, "Mayerhaus" from 1957 (photographed in 2013).

The Pellerhaus monument (referred to as Mayersches Pellerhaus in relation to the post-war building) is an archive and library building on Egidienplatz in Nuremberg's old city centre. It extends over the area of the historic Pellerhaus and the historic Imhoff house to the east of it, which was rebuilt after the war in the contemporary design of the late 1950s.

Contents

An important art and architectural Renaissance building stood here before its destruction in 1944 to 1945 during the bombing of Nuremberg in World War II. The ground floor and parts of the courtyard have been preserved and were integrated into the new building in 1955/1957. At that time, the funds for the complete reconstruction were lacking, [1] but modern Mayer architects' building became an outstanding example of 1950s architecture and is part of Nuermbergs modern Cultural heritage since 1998. [2] [3] From 2008 to 2018, the courtyard was reconstructed through the initiative of the cultural organisation Old Town Friends Nuremberg (Altstadtfreunde Nürnberg) using donations. [4] The Old Town Friends intend to reconstruct the entire Pellerhaus to its original design, [5] but this is widely discussed as a controversial issue.

Historic Pellerhaus

Historic Pellerhaus with its Renaissance facade, coloured photo around 1897 Photo - Fassade Pellerhaus - um 1897.jpg
Historic Pellerhaus with its Renaissance facade, coloured photo around 1897

Architecture

The old Pellerhaus found its way into art history as an outstanding example of a town house from around 1600. Martin Peller had the house built from 1602 to 1605. [6] Peller and his family moved into the house in 1625. He died there four years later. The Peller's family lived in the house until 1828.

The Pellerhaus was composed of a front building, courtyard and a rear building, a style typical of classic Nuremberg. However, the front building facade was an exceptionally complex form for Nuremberg. Instead of a reserved, eaves-like facade, as was customary in Nuremberg, it was more reminiscent of the trading houses of the North German or Hanseatic area.

Two stories and three attics rose above the base floor of rusticated pillow blocks. The seven window axes were flanked by pilasters that ended above the triangular gable in richly decorated obelisks. Up to the height of the eaves, the pilasters took over the rustic structure of the basement, above which they were covered with fittings. In the top of the gable, two hermen pilasters carried a shell with the chronogram "CVM Deo", which referred to the year 1605. The facade was completed with a Jupiter statue. Further accents on the central axis were a choir above the entrance portal, as well as a relief of St. Martin of Tourson the third floor, which alluded to the name of the owner Martin Peller.

North view of the original Pellerhaus from Aegidienplatz, Nuremberg in 1891. Karl Emil Otto Fritsch-Denkmaeler Deutscher Renaissance-1891-Nuernberg-Pellerhaus zu Nuernberg Aegidienplatz 1605 Facade.jpg
North view of the original Pellerhaus from Aegidienplatz, Nuremberg in 1891.

The courtyard had arcades that rose on octagonal pillars, with two gallery corridors above them. The rear building did not have a gallery on its facade. Instead, it had a striking bay window, which was supposed to take away the tube-like character of the narrow courtyard. The parapets were designed with Gothic-style tracery, with no repetitive ornamentation.

The interior of the Pellerhaus was also very elaborately decorated. The entrance hall is divided into nine roughly square yokes with Gothic ribbed vaults. In the so-called "beautiful room" the walls were lined with lavishly carved panelling, while the ceiling was decorated with ceiling paintings. The subject of the painting was Phaethon on the sun chariot surrounded by ancient figures of gods and allegorical figures. Another state hall also had a magnificent wall covering and a coffered ceiling. [7]

The Pellerhaus was spared extensive conversions over the years and by the time of its destruction, was largely in its original state. In 1929, the city of Nuremberg bought the Pellerhaus from private ownership in order to use it as a city archive. [8] In 1934, the Pellerhaus was completely restored by order of the city of Nuremberg.

Destruction and reconstruction

The ruins of the Pellerhaus in 1945 PellerhausNurnbergL1120833 (2).jpg
The ruins of the Pellerhaus in 1945

During an air raid on Nuremberg on October 3, 1944, the Pellerhaus was severely damaged by explosive devices and burned out completely when the Royal Air Force attacked on January 2, 1945. Large parts of the house collapsed on January 3, 1945. Part of the ground floor with the entrance hall, the stair tower, the cellar and large parts of the arcade courtyard have been preserved. [9] [10]

In 1952 the "Ideas Competition for the Reconstruction of Egidienplatz" was announced. [11] The 1st prize of the competition was won by the Nuremberg architects Fritz and his son Walter Mayer. [12] The design envisaged a complete development on the site in functional forms typical of the time. The remains of the old Pellerhaus were to be preserved and a contemporary magazine building was built on the partially reconstructed base floor, which was used to store archive materials.

After the drafts were drawn up in 1953 [13] and various changes to the plan, [14] the foundation stone was laid on April 7, 1956. On December 14, 1957, the building complex was inaugurated. [15] [16]

The reconstruction of the courtyard began in the spring of 1956, which also removed parts of the original Renaissance fabric. In 1960 the reconstruction was completed for the time being with the partial reconstruction of the courtyard arcades on the first floor. [17] The building was put under monument protection in 1998.

Heinz Schmeißner, the Nuremberg city building council and head of the reconstruction of the city in the post-war period, later described it as a mistake that the Renaissance building of the Pellerhaus was not reconstructed. The renowned Frankfurt architecture critic Dieter Bartetzko stated: "The people of Nuremberg hated the rebuilt (1950's Mayersche) Pellerhaus, today they ignore it." [18]

Historical reconstruction of the courtyard 2008–2018

The almost finished Pellerhof Courtyard in July 2018. Pellerhof.jpg
The almost finished Pellerhof Courtyard in July 2018.

In autumn 2005 an initiative was developed by the stonemason Harald Pollmann to rebuild the Pellerhaus courtyard. The 'Old Town Friends of Nuremberg' joined the project and founded the Pellerhaus working group. The monument protection authority was opposed to a reconstruction, since the existing historical substance would be endangered.

In May 2006, the city council fundamentally spoke in favour of a reconstruction, contrary to the monument protection office; but excluding financial participation in the reconstruction. The initiative then developed a fundraising concept.

In October 2008, the reconstruction of the courtyard was started. In mid-2013, the surrounding walls were completely rebuilt up to the second floor, and the reconstruction of the eastern arcades began. [19] It was finished in 2018. [20]

The 'Old Town Friends of Nuremberg' raised a total of 4.5 million euros by February 2018. The opening ceremony for the reconstructed interior courtyard was held on 14 July 2018. [21] [22] It has been open to the public since then. [23]

Reconstruction of the main facade

The building complex from the 1950s is in need of renovation after more than 60 years. Experts, e.g. the cultural heritage authorities of Nuremberg, suggest a sensible reuse of the cultural heritage building, [24] but in November 2018, the old town friends announced that they would like to take over the reconstruction of the entire Pellerhaus including the reconstruction of the Renaissance facades. This proposal is widely discussed in the city amidst much controversy. [25] [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuremberg</span> City in Bavaria, Germany

Nuremberg is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest city in Germany. On the Pegnitz River and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it lies in the Bavarian administrative region of Middle Franconia, and is the largest city and the unofficial capital of Franconia. Nuremberg forms with the neighbouring cities of Fürth, Erlangen and Schwabach a continuous conurbation with a total population of 800,376 (2019), which is the heart of the urban area region with around 1.4 million inhabitants, while the larger Nuremberg Metropolitan Region has approximately 3.6 million inhabitants. The city lies about 170 kilometres (110 mi) north of Munich. It is the largest city in the East Franconian dialect area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1. FC Nürnberg</span> German association football club

1. Fußball-Club Nürnberg Verein für Leibesübungen e. V., often called 1. FC Nürnberg or simply Nürnberg, is a German association football club in Nuremberg, Bavaria, who currently compete in the 2. Bundesliga. Founded in 1900, the club initially competed in the Southern German championship, winning their first title in 1916. Their first German championship was won in 1920. Before the inauguration of the Bundesliga in 1963, 1.FCN won a further 11 regional championships, including the Oberliga Süd formed in 1945, and were German champions another seven times. The club has won the Bundesliga once and the DFB-Pokal four times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuremberg Castle</span> Group of medieval fortified buildings in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany

Nuremberg Castle is a group of medieval fortified buildings on a sandstone ridge dominating the historical center of Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regional-Express</span> Passenger rail service in Germany, distinct from Intercity services

In Germany, Luxembourg and Austria, the Regional-Express is a type of regional train. It is similar to a semi-fast train, with average speed at about 70–90 km/h as it calls at fewer stations than Regionalbahn or S-Bahn trains, but stops more often than InterCity services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cadolzburg</span> Municipality in Bavaria, Germany

Cadolzburg is a municipality in the Middle Franconian district of Fürth, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 11 km (6.8 mi) west of Fürth. Its name derives from its central castle, first being mentioned in the year 1157.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bayreuth Hauptbahnhof</span>

Bayreuth Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station in the German town of Bayreuth, in northern Bavaria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City walls of Nuremberg</span>

The city walls are the medieval defensive mechanism surrounding the old city of Nuremberg, Germany. Construction started in the 12th Century and ended officially in the 16th Century. They measured 5 kilometers around the old town. The Nuremberg Castle together with the city wall is meant to be one of Europe's most considerable medieval defensive systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuremberg–Bamberg railway</span>

The Nuremberg-Bamberg line is a German railway connecting the Bavarian city of Nuremberg with Bamberg via Fürth, Erlangen, Forchheim. It is part of the northern section of the Ludwig South-North Railway. It runs along the Regnitz Valley and is one of the important German transport routes. Since 2010 line S1 of the Nuremberg S-Bahn uses the entirety of the line from Nuremberg to Bamberg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neues Museum Nürnberg</span> Art and design museum in Nuremberg, Germany

Neues Museum Nürnberg (NMN) is a museum for modern and contemporary art and design in Nuremberg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sep Ruf</span> German architect (1908–1982)

Sep Ruf was a German architect and designer strongly associated with the Bauhaus group. He was one of the representatives of modern architecture in Germany after World War II. His elegant buildings received high credits in Germany and Europe and his German pavilion of the Expo 58 in Brussels, built together with Egon Eiermann, achieved worldwide recognition. He attended the Interbau 1957 in Berlin-Hansaviertel and was one of the three architects who had the top secret order to create the governmental buildings in the new capital city of the Federal Republic of Germany, Bonn. His best known building was the residence for the Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, built for Ludwig Erhard, the so-called Chancellor's Bungalow.

Nürnberger Versicherung is a German insurance company headquartered in Nuremberg. The group operates in the life, private health, property/casualty and auto insurance segments as well as in the financial services sector, primarily in Germany and Austria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiltpoltstein Castle</span>

Hiltpoltstein Castle was originally a high mediaeval aristocratic castle dating to the 11th or 12th century. It stands in the centre of the market village of Markt Hiltpoltstein in the Upper Franconian county of Forchheim in the south German state of Bavaria. Its present appearance as a triple-winged building goes back to renovations carried out at the end of the 16th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VAG Class DT3</span> German U-Bahn train type operated in Nuremberg

The VAG Class DT3 is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft Nürnberg on the Nuremberg U-Bahn system. It is the first type of rolling stock on the Nuremberg U-Bahn that has gangways between the individual cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watch 1505</span> Worlds First Watch

The Watch 1505 is the world's first watch. It was crafted by the German inventor, locksmith and watchmaker Peter Henlein from Nuremberg, during the year 1505, in the early German Renaissance period, as part of the Northern Renaissance. However, other German clockmakers were creating miniature timepieces during this period, and there is no definite evidence Henlein was the first. It is the oldest watch in the world that still works. The watch is a small fire-gilded copper sphere, an oriental pomander, and combines German engineering with Oriental influences. In 1987, the watch reappeared at an antiques and flea market in London. The initial price estimation for this watch is between 50 and 80 million dollars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nürnberg-Dutzendteich station</span>

Nürnberg-Dutzendteich station is a railway station in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the Nuremberg–Feucht line of Deutsche Bahn. It is served by the S2 of the Nuremberg S-Bahn and line 6 of the Nuremberg tramway system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bombing of Nuremberg in World War II</span> Joint air raids on Nuremberg, Germany by the British and US air forces during WWII

The bombing of Nuremberg was a series of air raids carried out by allied forces of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) that caused heavy damage throughout the city from 1940 through 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Town Friends Nuremberg</span>

The Old Town Friends Nuremberg are an association that supports the preservation and restoration of the existing historical old town houses and other architectural monuments in Nuremberg that are worth preserving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toplerhaus</span> Historic building in Nuremberg, Middle Franconia, Germany

The Toplerhaus was an important Renaissance town house in the German city of Nuremberg. It was named after the patrician family Topler and was among the most elaborate of the late Renaissance residencies in the city. It was destroyed in a bombing raid in World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuremberg City Hall</span> City Hall in Nuremberg, Germany

The Nuremberg City Hall is located in the old town of Nuremberg, just east of the choir of the Sebalduskirche. It is part of the Historic Mile of Nuremberg as one of the city's sights. The imposing Renaissance building by architect Jakob Wolff the Younger (1571–1620) was severely damaged during World War II and had to be largely rebuilt in the 1950s. In the process, the structure was shortened by two window axes on the north side. On the south side is a core Gothic Saalbau, which Albrecht Dürer designed. The Lochgefängnisse, located in the basement, are considered a tourist attraction, as is the Beautiful Fountain, located directly in front of the New City Hall, designed by Kurt Schneckendorf in 1951 and built from 1954 to 1956. This building replaced the row of houses between the Old Town Hall and the Hauptmarkt, which had been destroyed during the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nassauer Haus</span> Medieval residential tower

The Nassauer Haus or Schlüsselfeldersche Stiftungshaus in Nuremberg is a medieval residential tower made of so-called red castle sandstone. Although originally built in Romanesque style, after several reconstructions the house is still characterized by Gothic style elements. It is the last still existing residential tower in Nuremberg.

References

  1. ↑ Swetje Bolduan, Herbert May, Nikolaus Bencker, Harald Pollmann (2009), Matthias Böckel (ed.), Pellerhaus Nürnberg (in German), Nürnberg: Edition Hertel, p. 82, ISBN   978-3-9812921-0-7 {{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ "Bund Deutscher Architekten » Das Pellerhaus in Nürnberg" (in German). Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  3. ↑ Museen. "Die historische Architektur". Museen der Stadt Nürnberg (in German). Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  4. ↑ Altstadtfreunde Nürnberg: Wiederaufbau des Pellerhofes
  5. ↑ Pläne fürs Pellerhaus: Altstadtfreunde möchten neu bauen, nordbayern.de, 16 November 2018.
  6. ↑ Swetje Bolduan, Herbert May, Nikolaus Bencker, Harald Pollmann (2009), Matthias Böckel (ed.), Pellerhaus Nürnberg (in German), Nürnberg: Edition Hertel, p. 16, ISBN   978-3-9812921-0-7 {{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ Edgard Heiger: Verlorene Pracht, Geschichten von zerstörten Bauten, Hildesheim 2006, S. 18–21, hier S. 20–21.
  8. ↑ Edgard Heiger: Verlorene Pracht, Geschichten von zerstörten Bauten, Hildesheim 2006, S. 18–21, hier S. 21.
  9. ↑ Hartwig Beseler, Niels Gutschow: Kriegsschicksale deutscher Architektur, Verluste – Schäden – Wiederaufbau, Eine Dokumentation für das Gebiet der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bd. II: Süd, Wiesbaden 2000, S. 1457–1459.
  10. ↑ Swetje Bolduan, Herbert May, Nikolaus Bencker, Harald Pollmann (2009), Matthias Böckel (ed.), Pellerhaus Nürnberg (in German), Nürnberg: Edition Hertel, p. 63, ISBN   978-3-9812921-0-7 {{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ Swetje Bolduan, Herbert May, Nikolaus Bencker, Harald Pollmann (2009), Matthias Böckel (ed.), Pellerhaus Nürnberg (in German), Nürnberg: Edition Hertel, p. 68{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ↑ Swetje Bolduan, Herbert May, Nikolaus Bencker, Harald Pollmann (2009), Matthias Böckel (ed.), Pellerhaus Nürnberg (in German), Nürnberg: Edition Hertel, p. 69, ISBN   978-3-9812921-0-7 {{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ↑ Swetje Bolduan, Herbert May, Nikolaus Bencker, Harald Pollmann (2009), Matthias Böckel (ed.), Pellerhaus Nürnberg (in German), Nürnberg: Edition Hertel, p. 71{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ↑ Swetje Bolduan, Herbert May, Nikolaus Bencker, Harald Pollmann (2009), Matthias Böckel (ed.), Pellerhaus Nürnberg (in German), Nürnberg: Edition Hertel, pp. 75f{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ↑ Swetje Bolduan, Herbert May, Nikolaus Bencker, Harald Pollmann (2009), Matthias Böckel (ed.), Pellerhaus Nürnberg (in German), Nürnberg: Edition Hertel, p. 78{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ↑ Walter Mayer: Zum Neubau der städtischen Bibliotheken in Nürnberg, in: Mitteilungen aus der Stadtbibliothek Nürnberg 4, 1955, 3, S. 21–24.
  17. ↑ Swetje Bolduan, Herbert May, Nikolaus Bencker, Harald Pollmann (2009), Matthias Böckel (ed.), Pellerhaus Nürnberg (in German), Nürnberg: Edition Hertel, p. 82{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. ↑ Karl-Heinz Enderle: "Bürger haben schon lange mit den Füßen abgestimmt", Altstadtfreunde Nürnberg, PDF, retrieved 15 March 2019.
  19. ↑ Pellerhof: Fortschritt wird sichtbar (Nürnberger Zeitung 11 April 2013, retrieved 3 October 2013)
  20. ↑ "Magischer Platz": Nürnbergs Pellerhof erstrahlt wieder, nordbayern.de, 13 July 2018.
  21. ↑ "Altstadtfreunde: Wiedereröffnung des Pellerhofs in Nürnberg 14 July 2018". Archived from the original on 2018-06-17. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  22. ↑ "Magischer Platz": Nürnbergs Pellerhof erstrahlt wieder, nordbayern.de, 13 July 2018.
  23. ↑ "Historic architecture". museums.nuernberg. April 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  24. ↑ "Positionsbestimmung Pellerhaus – Eine Zusammenfassung". Bda-bayern.de. Bund Deutscher Architekten (Nürnberg-Mittelfranken-Oberfranken). 2017-12-05.
  25. ↑ Laura Grun (2017-06-23). "Sanierung oder Abriss: Die ungewisse Zukunft des Pellerhauses". BR.de. Bayerischer Rundfunk. Archived from the original on 2018-04-05.
  26. ↑ "Pellerhaus in Nürnberg: "Der Abriss wäre ein Rechtsbruch"". nordbayern.de (in German). Retrieved 2021-06-10.

    Literature

    In alphabetical order:

    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.