1300–1400

After the town hall the Gothisches Haus is the most significant historic building on Wernigerode’s marketplace. A predecessor was mentioned in 1360; what is preserved of the building was built in the second half of the 15th century.

1500–1600

The building was spared the great fire that swept the town in 1528 and another conflagration in 1847 thanks to its solid fire-resistant walls; the signs of both can be seen clearly in the hotel and on the facade even today. After 1528 the intention was to put the town hall where the Gothisches Haus is now but the aldermen of Wernigerode decided to use the theatre instead. The new owner of the Gothisches Haus, the patrician Wilhelm Reifenstein, then had the house magnificently refurbished for himself. During this period, the carved figures on the facade were created, which are on show in the hotel today.

1700–1900

The Gothisches Haus belonged to a brewer in 1754, a clerk of the court in 1820 and an instrument maker in 1847. In 1848 it became an inn and has continued this tradition until the present day. In those days the left side of the ground floor was extended by adding large neo-gothic windows to the dining room.

1900– today

The hotel was family-owned until 1965, then taken over by the state until it was restored in 1989 and thoroughly modernised again by Travel Charme in 2002. Today, the Gothisches Haus stands on Wernigerode’s marketplace as splendid as it was in the old days.

About the name: Where did the “h” in Gothisches Haus come from?

You might have spotted that in German the word Gotik is spelled without an “h” but Gothisches Haus has one – why? Historians believe that in the Middle Ages the building was called “das grote hus am market” (the “large house on the market”), and has nothing to do with Gothic architecture. According to the experts the “h” probably found its way into the name during the 19th century. In those days anything that looked medieval or “old world” was referred to as “Gothic”.