Rekonstrukcja rynku w Hildesheim

• Authors: Grzelachowski Stanisław

Title variants

EN

A reconstruction of the Marketplace in Hildesheim

• Languages of publication: PL EN

Abstracts

EN

Hildesheim, an old diocesal town in Lower Saxony, was seriously devastated during World War II. The historical buildings of the marketplace were ruined as a result of an air raid conducted on 22 March 1945. Prior to the second world war, these buildings were differentiated as regards their plastic forms, construction and materials, they originated from various years and historical periods. This differentiation was most apparent in a division into brick and constructions. The latter were extremely typical for the Old Town of Hildesheim, while the brick buildings included the town hall, built in the thirteenth century and expanded in the nineteenth century, and the Tempelhaus dating from the end of the fifteenth century. The constructions, in turn, included the characteristic seat of the butchers’ guild — the Knochenhauseramtshaus from 1529, the Backeramtshaus of the bakers’ guild from 1800 and the Wedekindhaus from 1598. In this latter group, prime importance was always ascribed to the Konchenhaueramtshaus. The wartime fire did not affect only the town hall, the Tempelhaus, a historical well and the surface of the marketplace. After the war, the reconstruction of the marketplace lasted until the beginning of the 1960s. It introduced certain forms of contemporary architecture without retaining the historical shape of the marketplace since the latter was enlarged twofold, in the northerly direction. Immediately after its completion, this realization gave rise to serious doubts. Their outcome was the initiation of a social discussion among the town’s residents as regards a possible return to the historical forms of the marketplace. In the initial phase of the discussion, this plan appeared to be unrealistic, especially considering the excellent state of the newly realized constructions. Gradually, there appeared a number of initiatives aiming at „correcting” the configuration. In the middle of 1979 a competition was announced for the reconstruction of the southern row of houses, followed by yet another competition concerning the whole marketplace. The collected material made it possible to make a final decision about the feasibility of the reconstruction of the historical buildings, and a return to the historical dimensions of the marketplace. In the first place, it was resolved to recreate the southern row of houses, including the historical Wedekindhaus (1598), the Luntzelhaus (1773) and the Rolandstift (1500-1769). This task was successfully completed in the years 1983-1986. In 1984 the Municipal Council and the town authorities agreed to recreate the whole marketplace in its original shape. This decision made it necessary to pull down the new buildings, raised after the war. The Knochenhauersamtshaus and the Backeramtshaus in the western rown of houses were rebuilt. The reconstruction of the first of these buildings, with an overhanging front elevation proved to be a particularly difficult task. The realization of both houses was completed at the end of 1989. The reconstruction of the southern row of houses was undertaken by a hotel concern, which planned to build the „Forte” hotel complex on this spot. This complex included three historical houses reconstructed up to this day: the Stadtschanke (1666), the Rokokohaus (ca. 1760) and the Wollenwebergildehaus (ca. 1580). All these buildings were functionally connected wit two wings of the hotel, which were, in turn, realized as examples of contemporary architecture. The entire ensemble was completed in 1988. The successful reconstruction of the marketplace in Hildesheim was feasible thanks to a persistent cooperation of the town authorities and the local community. It called for making a series of extremely difficult decisions, such as the pugling down of new buildings, in excellent technical state, and the inauguration of costly reconstruction. In this particular instance, the dominating factor was a wish to regain a lost historical heritage.

• Publisher: Narodowy Instytut Dziedzictwa
• Journal: Ochrona Zabytków
• Year: 1993
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 170-173

Dates

published

1993

Contributors

author

Grzelachowski Stanisław

References

• Otto Gerland, Hildesheim und Goslar, Leipzig 1904.
• „Baumeister — Zeitschrift fur Architektur, Planung, Umwelt”: 1985 nr 1: Wolfgang Riemann, Der Fall: Marktplatz von Hildesheim ss. 17-23, z dwoma artykułami uzupełniającymi: Das Kno- chenhaueramtshaus in Hildesheim, s. 24 i 1951: Vier Gutachten fu r den vergroserten Marktplatz, s. 25.
• „Baumeister — Zeitschrift fur Architektur, Planung, Umwelt”: 1987 nr 7 artykuł redakcyjny, Der Marktplatz von Hildesheim: Planungszustand 1987, ss. 30, 31; Rekonstruktion von Knochenhauer amtshaus und Backeramtshaus, ss. 32, 33-
• Wydawnictwa miasta Hildesheim z 1990 r.: Rekonstruktion des Knochenhaueramtshaus und Backeramtshaus
• Wydawnictwa miasta Hildesheim z 1990 r.: Das schonste Fachwerkhaus der Welt, wydawca i redakcja: Gesellschaft fur den Wiederaufbau des Knochenhauer—Amtshauses Hildesheim e. V. und Stadt Hildesheim, Presse und Informationsabteilung.
• Wydawnictwa miasta Hildesheim z 1990 r.: H. Doler, Hildesheim Information, wydawca: Verkehrsverein Hildesheim e. V.

Identifiers

ISSN

0029-8247