Nassauer Haus

Mittelalterlicher Wohnturm gegenüber der Lorenzkirche

The cellar and ground floor date back to the early 13th century and contain impressive vaulting. This style of construction for defensive tower houses came from northern Italy to Nuremberg in the 13th century. The so-called “Geschlechtertürme” (generational towers) were widespread in the trading centers of that time (as Nuremberg once was), to protect goods against robbery and as status symbols for important families. Around 1430, there were supposedly ca. 65 such houses in Nuremberg; only the Nassauer House survives today.

Over the cellar and ground floor are three Gothic stories built out of sandstone around 1422. On the east side is a delicate “Chörlein” – an oriel made from wood or stone. From ca. 1430, the construction of the distinctive crenellations and the three small towers on the corners of the upper level began. These had nothing to do with defense, but had symbolic value.

Only a few historical buildings in the Nuremberg Old Town were as little damaged in World War II as the Nassauer House. During the bombing in 1945, only the roof and two of the three towers were badly damaged. Reconstruction followed from 1950 to 1952. Since then, the Nassauer House, together with St. Lawrence and the Fountain of the Virtues, is a wonderful ensemble and one of the most beautiful spots in the city. The traditional restaurant "Nassauer Keller" is located in vaulted cellar.