Feldkirch Sickhouse ''(Siechenhaus)'',
Feldkirch,
Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg ( , ; gsw, label=Vorarlbergisch, Vorarlbearg, , or ) is the westernmost States of Austria, state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is ...
,
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, is listed an Austrian monument of cultural significance. The group of two buildings was erected in the late 16th or early 17th century. Far outside the city of Feldkirch a
leper house
A leper colony, also known by many other names, is an isolated community for the quarantining and treatment of lepers, people suffering from leprosy. ''M. leprae'', the bacterium responsible for leprosy, is believed to have spread from East Afri ...
was founded in the 14th century. The former building might be destroyed in the year 1557. Since April 1985 a
youth hostel
A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory, with shared use of a lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or shared ba ...
is located in main building. The outhouse is now a shelter for the bus stop and the entrance for an underpass of the ''Reichsstraße''.
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Place
The buildings are located at the ''
Reichsstraße'' leading to
Dornbirn. The place belongs to the district of Levis in the cadastral community
Altenstadt. In the south, the neighboring building next to the main building is the Catholic Church of
St. Magdalena.
History
The Sickhouse was first built in the 14th century as a
leprosy
Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...
house far outside the then city of Feldkirch. The Magdalenenkirche next to the infirmary also dates back to the same century. It is reported that the Magdalenen church suffered severe damage in a fire in 1557. The Sickhouse might be damaged or destroyed in the same fire. The leprosy house was rebuilt in the late 16th or early 17th century. At this time the oldest parts of today's building are dated. The building was probably extended in the 17th century by an extension to the east and an annex on the north side. The
timber-framed
Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...
facade it is an exceptional piece of architecture. Timber-framed houses only appear in Vorarlberg,
The building was used for a short time as an emergency shelter for education, after the Feldkirch high school was damaged in a major fire on 6 August 1697. The maintenance of the Sickhouse was supported by meadows and fields in the vicinity of the building. In 1847, they were sold to a local manufacturer.
In the 20th century, the house served as accommodation for impoverished families. Since April 13, 1985 a youth hostel had been opened, said to be one of the finest in Vorarlberg. The outhouse was converted to a shelter for the bus stop. An underpass is leading to the other side of the ''Reichsstraße'', where a modern bus stop was built using glass and concrete. located in front and the entrance for an underpass on the other side of the Reichsstraße.
See also
*
Homberg (Efze), Sondersiechenhaus St. Wendelin
References
* Österreichische Kunsttopographie, Band 32: ''Die Kunstdenkmäler des politischen Bezirkes Feldkirch'', page 307.
External links
youth hostel's website
{{coord, 47.249945, N, 9.612752, E, display=title
Buildings and structures in Vorarlberg
Houses completed in the 17th century