Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house located at 44 rue du Général-de-Gaulle in Riquewihr is an emblematic building of Alsatian civil architecture of the early seventeenth century. Built in 1613, it is distinguished by its hors-oeuvre hexagonal staircase turret, adorned with a richly carved Renaissance door ( lion's head, man's head, woman's head, and arms of the Liechtenauer spouses). Inside, a painted ceiling on the second floor, discovered in 1985, depicts birds, insects, fruits and flowers, reflecting the artistic refinement of the period. The property was acquired in stages between 1592 and 1607 by Jérémias Liechtenauer and Margaretha Schmidt, the influential bourgeois of Riquewihr.

The turret, which was listed as a historic monument in 1989, houses a muddled helical silt staircase topped by an angelic head. The entrance door, dated and signed, bears an inscription in German and the 1613 vintage. The outbuildings, partly made of sandstone and wood, preserve elements from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, including a vaulted cellar in a cradle and a door of 1572. The house also illustrates the local economic development: its weaving workshops, active until the 19th century, recall the importance of this activity in the region.

The facades, roofs and entrance passage have been listed as historical monuments since 1989. The ground floor, now occupied by a pharmacy, contrasts with the original residential and artisanal use. The Liechtenauer weapons, visible on the door of the turret, underline their social status, while the painted ceiling, probably contemporary of construction, reveals a rare artistic heritage in Alsace. Subsequent changes (windows redone, addition of the wood section) show a continuous adaptation of the building to the needs of its occupants.

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