Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house at 30 rue du Général-de-Gaulle in Riquewihr is a building dating from the 1st quarter of the 17th century, built in 1609 for Wolfgang Baldner, winemaker, bourgeois and member of the city council. It bears its initials (WB) and the date on the front door, as well as a shield with the coat of arms at stake. This building, typical of Alsatian architecture, includes a cellar in the basement, a press on the ground floor, and floors highlighted by ground cords.

The house was modernized after World War II. It was initially linked to an adjacent property on 4 rue des Trois-Églises, where access to the common court was located. The street façade and the roof were listed as historical monuments by order of 18 March 1930. Wolfgang Baldner, his sponsor, became mayor of Riquewihr in 1618.

The building illustrates the social status of its owner, combining residential, wine (press) and political functions. The architectural elements, such as the sill windows, the wooden shutters and the dated curved door, reflect the local construction techniques of the time. The house also bears witness to the urban transformations of Riquewihr, with its address having evolved from the Grande-Rue to the present-day Rue du Général-de-Gaulle.

In 1833, the house formed a unified whole with another building, now separated. Post-war changes have altered some original aspects, but protections for historical monuments preserve its essential features. The accuracy of its current location is estimated to be fair (note 5/10), depending on available sources.

Sources also mention a Creative Commons license for a photograph of the building, awarded to Ralph Hammann (Wikimedia Commons). No information is provided on its current accessibility (visit, rental) or contemporary use.

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