Upended Sugarloaf, Hildesheim
Encyclopedia
The Upended Sugarloaf is an iconic half-timbered house in the city of Hildesheim
in the federal state of Lower Saxony
in Germany
.
between 1500 and 1510, but the exact year and the architect's name remain unknown. The shape of the building is very unusual, looking similar to an upended sugarloaf. The ground floor is 17 m² in space, the first floor is larger and the second floor covers 29 m².
, however, the building was compleletely destroyed by incendiary bombs. After the war, the Upended Sugarloaf was not immediately rebuilt. The space which had been occupied by the building was not used for building purposes again before 2009.
, which had been destroyed in 1945 as well, was reconstructed in the authentic style using old photos and construction plans. From 2000 on, the Altstadtgilde, a private association dedicated to the embellishment of the city, started collecting funds to reconstruct the Upended Sugarloaf and bought the piece of land where the building had stood before the war. Many inhabitants donated money for the project, as the Altstadtgilde intended to give the building to the City of Hildesheim as a present. The City Council, however, hesitated a long time before accepting the present, but finally the building permit was granted on 4 February 2009.
The reconstruction using 60 cubic meters of oak
wood and 728 wooden pegs was started on 27 October 2009. Many inhabitants of Hildesheim provided old photos and drawings for the project, as the original construction plans were not preserved. The construction of the foundation was completed on 9 November 2009 and the Roofing Ceremony was held on 3 February 2010. The building was inaugurated on 8 October 2010. The Upended Sugarloaf will be used as a café. The Association Altstadtgilde as building sponsor estimated that the total costs of the reconstruction amounted to € 1,500,000.
Hildesheim
Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
in the federal state of Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
History and architecture
The Upended Sugarloaf is a historic building in Saint Andrew's Place (Andreasplatz) in the center of Hildesheim, opposite Saint Andrew's Church. Originally, it was built in the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
between 1500 and 1510, but the exact year and the architect's name remain unknown. The shape of the building is very unusual, looking similar to an upended sugarloaf. The ground floor is 17 m² in space, the first floor is larger and the second floor covers 29 m².
Destruction
In the Second World War, the Upended Sugarloaf was slightly damaged during an air raid on 22 February 1945. On 22 March 1945Bombing of Hildesheim in World War II
The German city of Hildesheim, ca. 30 kilometres south of Hanover was target of several Allied air raids in 1945.-Hildesheim during World War II:In 1939, Hildesheim had about 72,000 inhabitants...
, however, the building was compleletely destroyed by incendiary bombs. After the war, the Upended Sugarloaf was not immediately rebuilt. The space which had been occupied by the building was not used for building purposes again before 2009.
Reconstruction
In the 1980s, the historic market place of HildesheimHistoric Market Place, Hildesheim
The Historic Market Place is one of the most famous sights in the city of Hildesheim in Lower Saxony, Germany- History :Hildesheim, one of the oldest cities in the North of Germany, was founded in 815 as a bishopric close to a ford of the river Innerste. The settlement very quickly developed into a...
, which had been destroyed in 1945 as well, was reconstructed in the authentic style using old photos and construction plans. From 2000 on, the Altstadtgilde, a private association dedicated to the embellishment of the city, started collecting funds to reconstruct the Upended Sugarloaf and bought the piece of land where the building had stood before the war. Many inhabitants donated money for the project, as the Altstadtgilde intended to give the building to the City of Hildesheim as a present. The City Council, however, hesitated a long time before accepting the present, but finally the building permit was granted on 4 February 2009.
The reconstruction using 60 cubic meters of oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
wood and 728 wooden pegs was started on 27 October 2009. Many inhabitants of Hildesheim provided old photos and drawings for the project, as the original construction plans were not preserved. The construction of the foundation was completed on 9 November 2009 and the Roofing Ceremony was held on 3 February 2010. The building was inaugurated on 8 October 2010. The Upended Sugarloaf will be used as a café. The Association Altstadtgilde as building sponsor estimated that the total costs of the reconstruction amounted to € 1,500,000.