Like a sentinel at a crossroads, the M\u00fcnzblock stands. It watches over the meeting of Peterssteinweg and M\u00fcnzgasse. This isn’t just another building. The M\u00fcnzblock is a landmark with a story etched in its very stones.
Today we are standing before this beautiful building. The M\u00fcnzblock is a residential and commercial building in Leipzig. It is located in the Zentrum-S\u00fcd district. The M\u00fcnzblock gets its name from the nearby M\u00fcnzgasse. The M\u00fcnzblock is a protected monument.
Notice the unusual shape of the M\u00fcnzblock. The streets converge at an acute angle. This creates a small plaza in front of the building. Look to the historic hand pump. It is a Vogelk\u00e4fig type, adding to the charm of the plaza and the M\u00fcnzblock.
The M\u00fcnzblock itself is built in the Historicism style. It features three wings that extend along the streets and face the plaza. Rounded oriel windows grace the corners. Each wing stretches approximately 27 meters. The building has five stories. The side wings each have six window bays. The central wing has five. The corner oriel windows add three more.
Below the residential floors is a commercial zone. Above that is a mezzanine. It is a common feature in Leipzig commercial buildings. Three residential floors rise above. The first residential floor is decorated with pilasters. These have Corinthian capitals and festoons. The second floor features fluted half-columns. The third floor has rounded arch windows. The side facing M\u00fcnzgasse is shortened by three bays. A large cornice sits above. The mansard roof follows the rhythm of the windows. Large dormers punctuate the roofline. The central dormer facing the plaza features a clock. The corner oriel windows culminate in tower structures. Oval staircases provide access to the residential floors in the side wings of the M\u00fcnzblock.
Let’s take a step back in time. Before the M\u00fcnzblock, this site was home to the Petersschie\u00dfgraben. In 1588, the Leipzig Rifle Association built a shooting range here. It included a building that housed a restaurant. During the Seven Years’ War and the Battle of the Nations, the Petersschie\u00dfgraben served as a military hospital.
In 1833, the Rifle Association sold the Petersschie\u00dfgraben. They relocated to a new shooting house east of the city. In 1865, the old Petersschie\u00dfgraben building was torn down. Caroline Bendix, the wife of a soap manufacturer, commissioned the construction of the current building. Master mason Daniel Gottlob Vogel built it between 1873 and 1874. The Bendix family owned the M\u00fcnzblock until the mid-1920s. Retail shops occupied the ground floor. Later, it came into the possession of the trade fair office and the Neue Leipziger Zeitung.
Remarkably, the M\u00fcnzblock survived World War II unscathed. After the war, restaurants moved into the commercial spaces. One popular spot in the early days of East Germany was Marie Pohle’s Ro\u00dffleischgastst\u00e4tte. This was a horse meat restaurant. Later, in the late 1960s, the Reform restaurant opened. It offered vegetarian and health food options. However, it didn’t last long.
After 1990, various establishments occupied the space. These included a branch of the St\u00e4ndige Vertretung, Der Burgermeister, and Caf\u00e9 Waldi, which closed in 2018. Currently, a Vietnamese restaurant called Pholosophy occupies the right side of the building.
The M\u00fcnzblock stands as a testament to Leipzig’s resilience. It shows how the city embraces change while preserving its history. The M\u00fcnzblock is more than just a building. It is a living chronicle of Leipzig’s vibrant past. As we move on, remember the stories whispered by the stones of the M\u00fcnzblock.