page_title: Haus zur goldenen Waage
section_title: Reconstruction
hierarchical_section_title: Haus zur goldenen Waage / Reconstruction
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Rekonstruierte Waage am Haus zur Goldenen Waage, Frankfurt am Main
context_page_description: The Haus zur Goldenen Waage was a medieval half-timbered house in the old town of Frankfurt am Main, which was destroyed in the air raid on March 22, 1944. Because of its high architectural and historic value, it was one of the most famous sights of the city. It was situated in front of the main entrance of the cathedral on the corner of the narrow Höllgasse, which leads from the cathedral square to the Römerberg and Altstadtgasse.
  The detailed Renaissance facade dates from 1619. The remains of the house, which would have allowed reconstruction after the war, were eliminated in 1950. However, the archways remained preserved as part of a private library in Götzenhain. For more than 20 years the land was fallow. Then in 1972/73, during the construction of the subway station Dom / Römer, the Archaeological Garden was created, allowing access to excavations of the Roman settlement on Cathedral hill and the Carolingian Royal Palace Frankfurt.
  In 2007, reconstruction of parts of the former old town became part of the Dom-Römer Project, which included the rebuilding of the Goldenen Waage. Work did not start until 2014.
context_section_description: At the beginning of the 21st century, the city started planning the future design of the old town area by the cathedral, later known as the Dom-Römer Project. In 2005 - more than 60 years after the destruction of the old town - both the inhabitants and the city council had a preference for the most exact possible restoration of the historical site with alleys, squares and courtyards, as well as the reconstruction of individual houses significant for town-planning. In a newspaper interview, Mayor Petra Roth suggested the reconstruction of four historically significant buildings, including the Goldene Waage.
  In order to evaluate the technical possibilities of the reconstruction, the city set up a project to document the old town in 2006. The study found that none of the buildings could be historically reconstructed, not even the particularly well-documented Goldene Waage. A creative reconstruction, "in which the street facade and the basic layout in particular could be rebuilt and possibly extended," seemed possible. The historical city plan could only be partially reconstructed; in particular, because the house by the cathedral, the Goldene Waage, could no longer be rebuilt on its original site. In order to keep the excavations of the archaeological garden accessible, a superstructure was to be built, in which larger struts had to be incorporated. Further research was necessary to establish, for example, whether the historical level of the streets and ground floors could be maintained. The current building regulations had to be observed for each reconstruction, especially with regard to fire protection, energy efficiency and the possibility of safe escape routes. Stairwells had to be fire-proof and made of non-flammable materials.
  On September 6, 2007, the city council decided to rebuild the Dom-Römer area. The CDU, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, FDP and Freien Wählern (free voters) voted for this, the SPD and Die Linke against. The reconstruction of at least seven buildings, including the Goldene Waage was included in this decision.
  The Jourdan & Müller office was offered the contract to reconstruct the Goldene Waage. The new Goldene Waage now connects to the townhouse to the south, and the Haus Weißer Bock to the west (Market 7), both of which are contemporary designs.
  Construction began in 2014. A specialist company in Lemgo was hired for the reconstruction of the half-timbered facade, for which around 100 cubic meters of old oak from historic buildings was reused. More than a dozen spolia were found in the rubble and reused.
  In December 2017, the facade of the new building (der äußerlich fertiggestellte Neubau) was completed, including the restored half-timbered facade, the Renaissance ceiling and the Belvedere, and presented at a press conference. In September 2018, the New Frankfurt Old Town was inaugurated with a two-day festival, although the interior of the Goldene Waage was not yet completed. The café on the ground floor opened in September 2019. The Historical Museum is still to be set up on the two upper floors.
caption: Since May 2018, the Goldene Waage has had its place again
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