The house at 8 Place du Marché in Dambach-la-Ville is an emblematic Alsatian heritage building. Built between the 3rd quarter of the 16th century and the 3rd quarter of the 17th century, it bears the traces of its history through two engraved vintages: the one, uncertain (1566, 1636 or 1656), adorns the ground floor door with an owner's mark, while the other, dated 1666, appears on a window of the floor, accompanied by the initials BS and a baker's emblem (a pretzel). This detail confirms its original use as a baker's house, a central activity in medieval and modern towns.
The building was listed as historic monuments by order of 6 January 1930, recognizing its architectural and historical value. Today, the house is reunited at a nearby restaurant, À la Vignette, whose room occupies the ground floor. The facade, a protected element, bears witness to the construction techniques of the Renaissance and classical eras in Alsace, combining artisanal and residential functions. Its location on the Market Square, the economic and social heart of Dambach-la-Ville, highlights its past role in the daily life of the town.
The initials BS and the symbol of the pretzel, engraved in 1666, evoke the identity of a former baker or artisan. These marks, common at the time, served both as a signature and as protection against theft or commercial litigation. Although the precise history of its occupants remains partially unknown, these elements offer a concrete overview of the local trades and traditions under the Old Regime, in a region then marked by its membership of the Holy Roman Empire and its status as Empire.
