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Key figures

Origin and history

The house at 7 rue des Cordiers in Riquewihr is a remarkable example of Alsatian civil architecture from the 3rd quarter of the 17th century. Built in 1672, it combines a masonry ground floor with wood-pan floors, with successive corbellations. The façade features sculpted elements, including prominent chambranle windows and a ringed door decorated with roses. These details reflect the social status of its sponsor, Hans Ulrich Hugelin, winemaker and recipient of the local hospital at the time.

The building includes areas dedicated to wine-growing activities, such as a former grape harvest (today deleted) and a cellar topped by a bay that has been used to access a press. A loggia, probably used to mount firewood, was subsequently closed. The house bears the traces of its history: the date 1672 and the initials H V H (Hans Ulrich Hugelin) appear on the windows and the door, alongside its coat of arms. These elements underline its role both residential and professional in the wine community of Riquewihr.

Ranked a historic monument since 1930, the house illustrates the architectural and social heritage of Alsace under the Old Regime. Its protection specifically concerns the main facade and roof, thus preserving the stylistic and functional characteristics of the era. The gallows of a pulley, still in place, recalls the handling systems of the past, linked to agricultural and domestic activities.

Riquewihr, a wine town in Haut-Rhin, was a dynamic economic centre where half-timbered houses often housed artisans, merchants or local officers. This type of construction, both practical and aesthetic, met the needs of an active population in the wine trade, while showing the prosperity of its owners. Hugelin House is a concrete testimony, mixing daily life and status symbols.

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