Kantorhaus, Bernau bei Berlin

The Kantorhaus is the oldest surviving half-timbered house in Bernau bei Berlin, Barnim. The listed building was built in 1583 in the Tuchmachergasse, today's Tuchmacherstraße, by the Bernau citizens Pieper, Henzen and Kogge. The builders are indicated by an inscription carved along the entire length of the building, which reads: "Anno Domini 1582 these stalls of the churches were freely requested for the best by R. Johann Pipern and anno 1583 by ime and Matthias Henzen and Lorentz Koggen as caste lords Got zum Ehren erbauet. Amen."

In the old Bernau stock book of 1719, the Kantorhaus is referred to as "three Censitenbuden". The Bernau town chronicler August Wernicke also speaks of the "Censitenbuden" and lists three house numbers in his town chronicle of 1894. The property consisted of "2 courtyards, 2 gardens reaching to the city wall path, the residential house and 3 stable= pp. Buildings." The residential building itself was "approx. 16.35 long, and approx. 9.05 m deep, 2 floors high, of half-timbering with tiled roof".

The building, which was erected in a post-and-beam construction, probably served as a home for the respective cantor of the parish only after 1730, and from the end of the 18th century also for the organist.

In the years 1981 to 1983, the building was extensively restored and then used as a music school until 2010. At the beginning of 2012, the town of Bernau received the Kantorhaus from the district of Barnim for a symbolic amount of 1.00 Euro. After a cost-intensive restoration, a wedding room and rooms for exhibitions on the town's history and development are to be created in the building.