Curious about a building that once controlled the flow of goods in and out of Würzburg? Let’s gather around the ehem. Zollamt Würzburg. This impressive structure at Veitshöchheimer Straße 1 whispers tales of a bygone era. For a century, it was the headquarters of the Würzburg Main Customs Office.
The ehem. Zollamt Würzburg now serves as the Technical Town Hall. It houses the municipal civil engineering office and the municipal drainage authority. This transformation marks a new chapter in its rich history.
Imagine Würzburg in the early 1900s. The Bavarian State Port was expanding. The ehem. Zollamt Würzburg was built between 1903 and 1907. It was strategically located near the Main River and the Würzburg Central Station. The location facilitated trade and customs operations.
Wilhelm Förtsch, a building official, designed the ehem. Zollamt Würzburg. The buildings showcase a baroque-influenced Art Nouveau style. This reflects the representative architecture of administrative buildings during the Prinzregenten era in the Kingdom of Bavaria. Construction dates, 1903 to 1907, were proudly displayed on the buildings. The Hauptzollamt officially began operations on March 1, 1907.
The canalization of the Main and the construction of the New Port shifted port operations westward by 1955. Truck traffic increased. A German customs reform aimed to bring customs offices closer to the flow of goods. Consequently, the Hauptzollamt Würzburg at the Old Port was dissolved. Its functions were transferred to the Hauptzollamt in Schweinfurt and the new Zollamt Dettelbach-Mainfrankenpark.
In 2008, the City of Würzburg purchased the 8,500 square meter area for 3.8 million euros from the Free State of Bavaria. The administrative building was converted into the Technical Town Hall. The municipal drainage companies moved into the southern head building. Private tenants use the storage buildings for office and gallery space.
The ehem. Zollamt Würzburg is an irregular three-winged building. It features a courtyard facing the street. The two head buildings are connected by a 130-meter-long, three-story hipped roof structure.
The northern head building, facing the port, served as the administrative building. This representative four-story building has a mansard hipped roof. A rooftop turret features large clocks. Identical round corner towers with domed roofs flank the street-facing corners. The symmetrical building has a plastered facade with sandstone elements. The facade and towers are richly decorated. A large coat of arms of the Kingdom of Bavaria marks the building as a former government office. The inscription “Hauptzollamt” at the main entrance has been updated to “Ehem.”
The southern head building, facing the city, originally housed the official residences of civil servants. It has four or three floors and a square corner tower with a rooftop turret. Limestone columns and a half-timbered dormer accentuate the entrance area.
The architectural style is a baroque-inspired Art Nouveau. The buildings are designated as historical monuments. Their substance remained unchanged externally. The substance was carefully renovated. A modern steel spiral staircase was added to the administrative building as an escape route.
Take a moment to notice the Stolpersteine in front of the residential building. These commemorate the family of Zollfinanzrat Albert Kirschner. Kirschner was expelled from office and his home in 1935 due to his Jewish heritage. He was arrested in 1938 and sent to the Dachau concentration camp. His family later perished in Auschwitz-Birkenau.
The ehem. Zollamt Würzburg stands as a reminder of Würzburg’s past as a trade hub. It is also a testament to the city’s ability to adapt and repurpose its historical treasures.