House Tiefstraße 13

Behind the 19th-century façades of Tiefstraße lie many historic half-timbered houses, lovingly restored by their owners over recent decades. Flower boxes and benches give the street its distinctive small-town charm.

One of the oldest of these is the house at Tiefstraße 13. Dendrochronological studies of its beams show that it was built in 1513. At that time, the window frames we see today did not exist in such simple town houses; instead, small openings allowed light in and were covered with animal skins to keep out draughts and cold.

The projecting upper floor was not intended to provide extra living space, but served a decorative, representative purpose.

Illustration: Reconstruction of the upper floor according to Christoph Dautermann