Thon-Dittmer-Palace

The Thon-Dittmer-Palais on Haidplatz presents itself today as a mighty building block, bordered on the west by Weingasse and on the east by Baumhackergasse. Originally, two medieval houses stood on this area. Georg Friedrich, Edler von Dittmer acquired the western property in 1781 and had it modernized. Dittmer achieved great wealth through trade in salt, wines, and Austrian mining products and is considered Regensburg's most successful merchant in the 18th century. Shortly after 1800, he also acquired the neighboring house on Baumhackergasse. The renovation measures, in connection with which the classical facade connecting the two buildings was also created, were completed in 1809. In the inner courtyard of the four-wing complex, the stages of the Palais's development history are discernible. The remains of the vaulted entrance hall, the Gothic clock bay window on the southern side of the courtyard, and the former house chapel of St. Sigismund still existing in this area refer to the medieval origin of the house. Visually dominant today are the Renaissance arcades on the north and west sides of the square. During their renovation in 1978, a monument preservation-problematic addition occurred: only the arcades on the west side and the adjoining first arcade section on the north side are original. The further course of the north side was added in 1978. The current impression is that of a representative Renaissance courtyard. However, such a courtyard never existed in a Regensburg bourgeois house, as the city had long since left its medieval prosperity behind and was completely impoverished at that time. The funds for such a magnificent courtyard design were simply not available. Even the Bishop of Regensburg had only a small part of the inner courtyard of his residence equipped with modern Renaissance arcades.


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