Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house at 45 rue du Général-de-Gaulle in Riquewihr is a remarkable example of Alsatian civil architecture from the 3rd quarter of the 17th century. Built in a plan massé with a gable on street, it combines a ground floor in sandstone and wooden floors. Its corbellation on the 1st floor, supported by two pillars, and its sculptures (men in sheath with grapes, angel heads) testify to a refined craftsmanship. The house, formerly called the upper forge, bears the date of 1600 on its lintel, but was partially rebuilt in 1667 by nailmaker Hans Brickler, as his initials and the date engraved on a cornice attest.

The structure features notable architectural details: a chambranle window carved on the 1st floor, cross-of-Saint-André in aisle, and cornel posts decorated with characters, including a nailer in leather apron. The roof with long broken and half-croup sections, as well as the possible addition from the 2nd floor to the 18th century, reflect stylistic changes. The façade, the only part protected since the inscription of historic monuments in 1930, preserves a modern shop bay in the middle of the hanger on the ground floor.

Riquewihr, the wine-growing town of Haut-Rhin, was in the 17th century a dynamic artisanal centre, where trades such as nail-making, played a key economic role. Wood-paned houses, often decorated with symbolic motifs, illustrated the prosperity of local corporations. This house, linked to Hans Brickler's activity, thus embodies the artisanal and architectural heritage of pre-industrial Alsace.

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