Half-timbered houses in Saxony more widespread than known

Houses in the surrounding area are more widespread in Saxony than is generally known. The houses are considered to be particularly typical of Upper Lusatia. However, according to the Umgebindehaus Foundation, evidence of the special half-timbered construction method has now also been discovered in other parts of Saxony. "Their area of distribution was once much larger," said office manager Arnd Matthes. "It reached as far as the Vogtland region and the Leipzig area."

An excursion to West Saxon half-timbered houses starts this Sunday (May 25) in Groitzsch, south of Leipzig. The tour is part of the program of the Open Day of the Umgebindehaus, which is held every year across the border.

Thousands of half-timbered houses in Upper Lusatia

According to the foundation, around 90 properties can be visited on this year's event day, including 45 in Poland alone. In the Czech Republic, more than 30 buildings are already open on Saturday. It is estimated that around 19,000 Umgebinde houses still exist in Upper Lusatia, Saxon Switzerland, northern Bohemia and Lower Silesia. Typical for these buildings is a construction of wooden arches that supports the upper floor and the roof. It is assumed that Slavic log construction and German half-timbered construction were once combined for this purpose.

Matthes puts the number of Umgebinde houses in eastern Saxony at around 7,500, around 6,000 of which are listed buildings. Places such as Obercunnersdorf and Großschönau (both in the district of Görlitz) have a very dense stock of buildings of this particular type. Building research has led to new and surprising findings in recent years, particularly with regard to the age of the houses. "There are more Umgebinde houses from the 17th century than previously assumed," said Matthes.

New life for old walls

Some of them are even significantly older than 400 years. A house in Eckardtsberg near Zittau, for example, dates back to 1547. Carefully dismantled and currently in storage, it is to be rebuilt next to the foundation's headquarters in Neugersdorf. The utilization concept is being worked on.

"We are happy about every saved object," explained Matthes. In Wilthen, an 18th century half-timbered house is currently being converted into a cultural and meeting center. The town's tourist information office is also to be housed there in future. The building at a busy crossroads in the town center had stood empty for a long time. A private investor had not been found for it. In general, abandoned properties on main streets usually remain "slow sellers".

High refurbishment costs

15 half-timbered houses, including one property in Vogtland, are currently listed on the foundation's own real estate exchange. However, there have been no inquiries for some time. "There's no movement at the moment," regretted the office manager. Many would like to buy something, but the renovation costs have exploded, which is simply deterring interested parties.

Since its establishment in 2004, the foundation has approved 168 applications for funding for repairs and restoration work on Umgebindehäuser. According to Matthes, two to three properties per year benefit from this. The amounts of 2,000 to 3,000 euros each came from the foundation's interest income.