Perhaps Clemens August himself strolled past this very spot. We are standing before the Kurfürstliches Wasserträgerhaus. This house whispers tales of 18th-century Bonn. It is located in Poppelsdorf. It is the only remaining residential building from Bonn’s baroque electoral era.
The Kurfürstliches Wasserträgerhaus dates back to 1750. Peter Blentz built it. He was the water carrier for the Cologne Elector Clemens August. Blentz acquired land in Poppelsdorf in 1743. He then erected this house. It is thought that Clemens August might have instigated the construction of the house. The house provided accommodation for people who worked for him. It created a representative entrance to Poppelsdorf.
Imagine Peter Blentz. He diligently carried fresh well water. He supplied the Kurfürst in Bonn and Poppelsdorf. Every day he did this job. He likely sourced the water from the Riesenborn. This well was later sold to a porcelain factory. Blentz’s family lived here. His wife Ursula and their ten children called this place home. Blentz owned other buildings and a vineyard.
Consider the architecture of the Kurfürstliches Wasserträgerhaus. It has two stories. It was built with bricks. Some interior walls are half-timbered. The cellar has massive barrel vaults made of brick. A slate-covered hipped roof tops the building. It features two dormers.
Look at the street side. The ground floor has two windows. There is a house entrance and a gate. The upper floor has four windows. Sandstone frames the windows and entrances. A decorative niche sits between the upper-floor windows. It holds a Madonna statue. The original statue is missing.
Above the entrance, you will spot an oval window. Inscriptions are above and below. The inscription reads “MUTTER. GOTTES. SEGNET DIESES HAUS. ERBAUT. ANNO 1750. DURCH. CHURFÜRST.” It continues “WASSER TRÄGER PETES BLENTZ. UND URSULA MOSTART GENAND BLENTZ. DESSEN HAUSFRAU”. Another inscription was once there. It said “In der Hand Gottes stehet dieses Haus”. A long, narrow garden extends from the back.
The Catholic parish acquired the Kurfürstliches Wasserträgerhaus in 1845. It became a residence for their clergyman. Later, it housed a grocery store. It also contained various restaurants. In the 1960s, it was remodeled.
In 1979, there were plans to demolish the house. The local press reported this. All factions in the district council supported preserving it. This prevented the demolition. A renovation restored the house. It returned it to its electoral-era appearance. Today, it is privately owned.
The restaurant Zum Wasserträger is no longer here. The Kurfürstliches Wasserträgerhaus stands as a reminder. It reminds us of Bonn’s history. It reminds us of the people who shaped it. It is a testament to a bygone era.