Woad House (Görlitz)
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The Woad House (, ; ) is the oldest
secular building A secular building is a building for secular purposes. The term is used in fine arts and the cultural science, for example in the history of architecture The history of architecture traces the changes in architecture through various traditi ...
of
Görlitz Görlitz (; ; ; ; ; Lusatian dialects, East Lusatian: , , ) is a town in the Germany, German state of Saxony. It is on the river Lusatian Neisse and is the largest town in Upper Lusatia, the second-largest town in the region of Lusatia after ...
. During its rich history it served various purposes and underwent numerous alterations. The common name ''Woad House'' is based on the
woad ''Isatis tinctoria'', also called woad (), dyer's woad, dyer's-weed, or glastum, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae (the mustard family) with a documented history of use as a blue dye and medicinal plant. Its genus name, ''Isati ...
that was stored in this building in the 16th century.


Location

The Woad House is located on the plateau between the parish church of St. Peter and Paul on north side and the ''Hainwald'' buildings on the south side. A small preacher alley separates the Woad House from the Hainwald buildings. Easterly the plateau slopes steeply towards the banks of the
Lusatian Neisse The Lusatian Neisse (; ; ; Upper Sorbian: ''Łužiska Nysa''; Lower Sorbian: ''Łužyska Nysa''), or Western Neisse, is a river in northern Central Europe.
. A walkway connects the river banks with the plateau and the church's forecourt.


History

The origins of the building date back to the 12th century, when the building was part of a
courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary a ...
that served the lord's castle and was probably managed by
Bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, originally practised by 19th–20th century European and American artists and writers. * Bohemian style, a ...
servants. Newer research suggests, that it might have been the residential building of a noble family too: It had its own tower, which is very likely for yards of noble families of that time and it was very closely located (or even part of) the bigger courtyard ''Vogtshof'' that was managed by a bohemian
Amtmann __NOTOC__ The ''Amtmann'' or ''Ammann'' (in Switzerland) was an official in German-speaking countries of Europe and in some of the Nordic countries from the time of the Middle Ages whose office was akin to that of a bailiff A bailiff is a ...
. In the 14th century the building was used as a brewery yard. Later, in the 15th century, the owners changed quickly. Among them, the
Görlitz Görlitz (; ; ; ; ; Lusatian dialects, East Lusatian: , , ) is a town in the Germany, German state of Saxony. It is on the river Lusatian Neisse and is the largest town in Upper Lusatia, the second-largest town in the region of Lusatia after ...
mayor Bartholomäus Eberhard was the most noted owner, after whom the property was named for a long time. In 1425, the city acquired the house from his heirs. At this time the building had a tower - the Tower of Eberhard - that was deconstructed during the
Hussite Wars The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, a ...
the following year. The Erfurt auxiliary under Tiezmann von Weberstedt moved into the courtyard between the end of April and mid-June 1428. The court also served as accommodation for the Bohemian nobleman Johann von Michelsberg for more than three months in 1432. From 1447 to 1529, the Waidhaus was used as a school building. In 1530, the school was moved to ''Krebsgasse 7'' to make room for
woad ''Isatis tinctoria'', also called woad (), dyer's woad, dyer's-weed, or glastum, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae (the mustard family) with a documented history of use as a blue dye and medicinal plant. Its genus name, ''Isati ...
storage. Probably during this period another three floors were added and the building reached its present height. Before that time
woad ''Isatis tinctoria'', also called woad (), dyer's woad, dyer's-weed, or glastum, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae (the mustard family) with a documented history of use as a blue dye and medicinal plant. Its genus name, ''Isati ...
was stored and sold in private homes. In 1529, the already older inscription "''Nil actum creades, cum quid restabit agendum 1479''" was probably also walled in on the north gable, remembering a severe fire in 1479 due to a lightning strike. In 1578, the wall dormers were removed, thus flattening the roof. The building got the other common name ''Renthaus'' (
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
: ''Rente'' engl. pension) from its use as a warehouse for the bailiwick pension. Until 1732 the bailiff stored his grain here. From 1897 to 1907, the professional fire service of
Görlitz Görlitz (; ; ; ; ; Lusatian dialects, East Lusatian: , , ) is a town in the Germany, German state of Saxony. It is on the river Lusatian Neisse and is the largest town in Upper Lusatia, the second-largest town in the region of Lusatia after ...
had its fire station inside the building. Later, they moved to the Gobbin- and Kröl street. During work on the building in 1908, about 50 stonemason's marks surfaced in a room inside. From this it was concluded that the building was probably also used at that time as a stone hut for the workers on the parish church of St. Peter and Paul. The historic gables were restored in 1936 according to a woodcut from 1565. After
German Reunification German reunification () was the process of re-establishing Germany as a single sovereign state, which began on 9 November 1989 and culminated on 3 October 1990 with the dissolution of the East Germany, German Democratic Republic and the int ...
efforts were undertaken to refurbish the building. The wall dormers had been reconstructed according to the same woodcut as well. From 1992 onwards, the German Foundation for Monument Protection used the interiors of the building as a training center for craftsmanship and preservation of monuments. Due to a lack of funding and demand the courses stopped in 2016, despite being highlighted as an exemplary educational center for the qualification of craftsmen for the preservation of European building heritage by the Council of Europe. As of March 2021, the building was unused.


References

{{commonscat Heritage sites in Saxony Houses completed in the 12th century Buildings and structures in Görlitz