Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The house at 45 rue du Général-de-Gaulle in Riquewihr is an emblematic building of Alsatian architecture from the 3rd quarter of the 17th century. From a plan massé with gable on street, it combines a ground floor in sandstone and wooden floors. Its first floor, in corbellation, is supported by two pillars added later. The façade is distinguished by remarkable sculptures: a chambranle adorned with sheathed figures holding clusters of grapes, angel heads, and cornel poles depicting characters on foot, including a nailer in leather apron with its hammer, a symbol of local artisanal activities.

The house, formerly called the upper forge, bears the date 1600 engraved on the lintel of its door, suggesting a partial anterior origin. In 1667, nailmaker Hans Brickler had part of the building rebuilt, as evidenced by his initials and the date on the cornice of a window on the first floor. The second floor, more sober, could date from the eighteenth century, while the bay in the middle of the ground floor is a modern addition. Inscribed to historical monuments by decree of 18 March 1930, this house illustrates the architectural and artisanal evolution of Riquewihr, a wine-growing village and a prosperous commercial under the Old Regime.

The roof with long, broken and half croup, typical of Alsatian houses, crowns the building. The carved details, such as the cross of St Andrew in the allegories, reflect the influence of guilds and local corporations, active in metallurgy and the vine. The house thus embodies the artisanal and urban heritage of Alsace, between medieval tradition and Baroque renewal. Its early inscription (1930) underscores its historical value in a village now ranked among the Most Beautiful Villages of France.

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