Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Kiener House, located on 2 Cerf Street in Riquewihr (High Rhine), is an emblematic monument of the Alsatian Renaissance. Built in the second half of the 16th century, it is distinguished by its body of stoneware houses, its chains of angles covered with crepi, and a facade decorated with a Renaissance medallion pediment. An inscription in German commemorates its construction in 1574 by Conrad Ortlieb, a wealthy bourgeois and municipal governor, assisted by his workers. The carriageway door, cut in bias to facilitate access from the narrow street, and a circular staircase turret complete this architectural ensemble.

The property is organized around a paved courtyard, surrounded by outbuildings dated 1575 and 1576, including a carved sandstone well. The ground floor is equipped with a press room and small windows, while the first floor, a former stove (reception room), features twin windows with Corinthian columns. Painted floor ceilings, discovered in 1999 during renovations, as well as a column dated 1754 at the show show further developments. The house, originally associated with Conrad Ortlieb and his wife Anna Kiener, was later known as its early 20th-century owner, Kiener.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1999, the Kiener House illustrates the prestige of the bourgeois of Riquewihr during the Renaissance. Its architecture combines functionality (central passage, stable, adjoining houses) and refined decor, reflecting the prosperity of this Alsatian wine town. The western building, backed by the 13th century wall, also highlights the integration of the monument into the medieval urban fabric. The initials C O and the brand of Conrad Ortlieb, engraved on several occasions, recall his role as sponsor, architect and sculptor.

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