Tempelhaus, Hildesheim

The Tempelhaus in Hildesheim is a Gothic patrician house on the south side of the market square, built around 1350. In the 16th century, the house passed into the hands of the von Harlessem family, who held the mayoralty in Hildesheim for a long time. Above the top of the doorway arch, in addition to the double rafters in the coats of arms of this family, one can see the monograms "R.v.H." and E.v.H.", which probably refer to one of two pairs of brothers, Roleff and Eggert von Harlessem, who owned the house in the century of its acquisition. The Renaissance bay window, created in 1591, which shows in its parapet fields, in addition to other coats of arms of the von Harlessem family, four partially completed reliefs from the parable of the prodigal son, is considered a masterpiece of stonemasonry. The house remained with this family until 1805. The devastating bombing of Hildesheim on March 22, 1945, destroyed almost all the buildings on the market square of the old town. What remained, besides the market fountain, were parts of the town hall and the Tempelhaus, whose facade with the two attached turrets and the oriel remained largely undamaged. The Temple House was rebuilt as early as 1952.

It is unclear where the name "Tempelhaus" comes from. Popular, but hardly correct is the derivation that the first synagogue of Hildesheim should have stood at this place. It was argued that the entrance to the Judenstraße was located between the Tempelhaus and the Wedekindhaus. According to newer opinion the name should go back to a painting of the gable front of the building called Harlessem house until then from the 16th century, which showed two tournament knights riding towards each other, which the population associated with the order of the Knights Templar. The archaeological evidence is also controversial in its interpretation: While some consider remains of a mikvah under the temple house to be proven, others consider such a bath in the basement of the building to be "technically impossible."

The temple house belongs to the Gerstenberg family, which is also the publisher of the Hildesheimer Allgemeine Zeitung. On the first floor is the tourist information and the passage to the city library. On the top floor is a webcam with a view over the marketplace.

The discovery that there was already a building before the temple house was considered almost sensational. Also, the foundation of a tower or bower from the 12th century was cut. It is located outside the present temple house.