Knochenhauer-Amtshaus

image author: Verkehrsverein Hildesheim e.V.

Am Markt 4

Originally built in 1529, the Knochenhaueramtshaus is the best known half-timbered house in Hildesheim. It was the butchers' guild house (bone crusher). As all the other Hildesheim craftsman associations, the building is situated at the marketplace opposite the town hall. It belongs to the German Renaissance. At times the Knochenhaueramtshaus is being described as the world's prettiest half-timbered house due to its representative facade. Apart from being used as sales room, the basement vaults also served as storage. On the first floor guild meetings were held and the upper floor had further storage rooms as well as apartments.

The 26 meters high building was completely destroyed during a bomb raid in Hildesheim on 22nd of March 1945. Even though it wasn't hit directly by bombs, the fire, which destroyed nearly the whole city centre also reached the house.

After the 2nd World War, the modern 'Hotel Rose' was built in its place. The Knochenhaueramtshaus was seen by many Hildesheim citizens as a symbol of the old Hildesheim and so the wish to rebuilt the house stayed alive. The chance to do just that arose when the hotel Rose went into insolvency in the 1980ties. At the same time, the Hildesheim Stadtsparkasse planed a new building for their headquarter at the south side of the marketplace. The Hildesheim citizens used this opportunity and decided to rebuilt the marketplace completely. The houses on the north and south side of the place had their facades reconstructed only but the Knochenhaueramtshaus was redeveloped in the traditional style from 1986 onwards. For this 400 cubic metres oak wood was used and over 4.300 connections with ca. 7.500 wooden nails were produced. The original decoration of the wind boards at the north side away from the marketplace hadn't been documented precisely and so couldn't be reconstructed. Instead the boards got modern paintings, which symbolises war and destruction.

Today, the building houses among others the Hildesheim city museum. In 2006 a survey was done by the NDR TV and viewers chose the building as one of prettiest of the '100 prettiest buildings' in the broadcasting area.