How often do you pass a building and wonder about its name? Here at the corner of Ritterstraße and Brühl stands “Zur Heuwaage”. The inscription hints at a rich history. While this building isn’t ancient, the story behind “Zur Heuwaage” is indeed fascinating.
Many old buildings in Leipzig’s center have long histories. This one’s name points to a structure that stood here before. Back in 1558, the city council established the municipal hay weighing station or Heuwaage right on this very corner. It was used to measure cargo. It could even weigh entire wagons.
In 1619, a new half-timbered building was erected for the weighing equipment. About a century later, a new scale was installed. Jacob Leupold, a local mechanic, was commissioned in 1716 to install a new weighing device. It operated like a classic balance scale with counterweights.
The previous structure was demolished in 1856. The present residential and commercial building, built in the Classicism style, was erected the same year. It has six stories. It sustained only minor damage during World War II. After extensive renovations in 1990, it regained its former splendor.
“Zur Heuwaage” refers to the municipal weigh house that stood here for over 300 years. The six-story building boasts seven window bays on Ritterstraße and four on Brühl. The corner is beveled. The upper four floors feature door-height window openings. Above the windows on the first three floors are canopies. The hipped roof has dormers aligned with the window axes.
In 1535, the guilds of butchers, blacksmiths, tanners, and shoemakers took over the property from the von Wiedebach family. They set up their granary or warehouse here. In 1558, the city council had the municipal hay scale installed in the building. It allowed to determine the weight of large loads and wagons. A flax scale had already been mentioned for the Brühl in 1511. In 1619, the scales received a new half-timbered building. It lasted until 1856. It was often depicted with its counterpart the Georgenhaus built in 1701. A new scale was installed in the half-timbered structure in 1716.
After the weigh house was demolished, the residential and commercial building that still stands today was built in 1856. It suffered little damage in the Second World War. It was extensively renovated after 1990.
In 1716, the city council commissioned Jacob Leupold to build a new scale for heavy loads in the weigh house. He built a device based on the principle of a balance. Due to the different lengths of the balance beam sides, the total mass of the goods did not have to be applied as a counterweight by using leverage. A sliding taring weight on the balance beam established equilibrium. The result of the weighing was read on a scale. By varying the suspensions and additional counterweights, four weighing ranges between 2 and 50 could be set. Leupold wrote a 14-page instruction manual.
So, next time you’re near Ritterstraße 50, remember the “Zur Heuwaage.” Picture the bustling activity of merchants weighing their goods centuries ago. This building stands as a reminder of Leipzig’s rich commercial history and the ingenuity of its craftsmen.