History of the Hornmoldhaus

The Hornmoldhaus is one of the most important half-timbered houses of the Renaissance in southwest Germany and has housed the Bietigheim-Bissingen town history collection since 1989. In addition to the exhibits on the town's history, the building itself, with its artistic wall and ceiling paintings and impressive half-timbered construction, provides impressive insights into times gone by.

The building is named after Bietigheim town clerk Sebastian Hornmold, who was appointed bailiff in 1535 and received the benefice of the Johannes Altar from Duke Ulrich of Württemberg, the richest benefice in the town at the time. The location between the town hall and the palace seemed suitable for the mediator between the duke and the townspeople. The proximity to the church and market square also made the house one of the "top addresses" in the town.

Hornmold had his magnificent residence built on this and a neighboring property in 1535-1536. The representative building shaped the cityscape for centuries and to this day conveys the self-image and attitude to life of the bourgeoisie of an up-and-coming country town in the 16th century.