Warleberger Hof Palais

The Warleberger Hof in Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, is the last remaining noble palace in the city and the only surviving private building from before 1864 in Kiel's Old Town. Since 1970, this house has housed the City Museum.

The building was constructed starting in 1616 for Christoph Martens, ducal secretary to Duke Friedrich III of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf. The construction included - not preserved - outbuildings and numerous privileges such as a water connection and brewing rights. The vaulted cellar from the time of construction is preserved.

The palace received its current name from the landed gentry Henning von Thienen auf Warleberg, who acquired it in 1695, and its current appearance from Henning Bendix von Rumohr, who had the house rebuilt starting in 1765. The sandstone portal, the painted stucco ceilings, and wall paintings on the ground floor date from this period.

It remained in noble possession until it was sold to Kiel University in 1839 for 6,000 Reichsthaler, and temporarily served the anatomy department. In 1909, the main facade was set back by five meters as part of a street widening project. The Warleberger Hof survived the destruction of Kiel in World War II by air raids, which also claimed the other noble residences and Kiel Castle, without major damage.

After the war, the building continued to serve various university purposes. From 1967, the last major alterations were carried out, and from 1970, the house was designated as the permanent home of the Kiel City Museum. The history of the city of Kiel is presented on 400 m² of exhibition space and three floors, and changing exhibitions also take place. From 2009 to 2011, the Warleberger Hof was renovated. During this time, the facade was repositioned. During excavation work, beams from a predecessor building were recovered, which could be dated back to 1278, almost 40 years before the city's founding.