1350

Market 2, photo by Ludwig Bickell (detail), 1874
(Photo: Andreas Ruhl)
1350Construction of the Ständerhaus Markt 2
The building at Markt 2 in Alsfeld is the oldest house in the town. The left-hand section of this half-timbered building, which directly adjoins the stone wine house, dates back to 1350. The right-hand half was built in 1403, while the section at the back was added in 1465 as the youngest part and does not have a cellar.
The building is a post-and-beam construction, with long, load-bearing wooden columns running through all floors. The first floor was originally designed as a hall, possibly for storage or business purposes, while the upper floors were used as living quarters.
The façade facing the town hall extends further into the street from floor to floor. This was done not only to gain additional space, but also to save on taxes. The property tax was based on the size of the plot and not on the floor area. These were therefore exempt from taxation.
The existence of two older vaulted cellars indicates that a semi-detached house must have stood on this site before, presumably during the town’s founding period. (JP)