Do people still live here?

Live in the heart of Erfurt

What is it actually like to live on one of the oldest and most famous buildings in Europe? Between history, half-timbered houses, and everyday life – life on the Krämerbrücke is special. On the 700th anniversary of the stone bridge, KoWo (Kommunale Wohnungsgesellschaft mbH Erfurt) met some of the people who have been experiencing this for decades: the oldest residents of the Krämerbrücke.

In short interviews, they talk about what it's like to live here – with a view of the river, in the middle of the hustle and bustle, but also in complete privacy. Personal, honest, charming. And with a look into their apartments, they open a door to a world that many only know from the outside.

„A world of its own“

Living at the highest point of the bridge

His apartment is currently a construction site. The roof had to be renewed, as well as some of the old beams of the historic half-timbered structure. The retired wood sculptor and furniture restorer Josef Englert has been living in the house for 30 years, which once bore the name "Zum schwarzen Bär," later "Zu den drei nackenden Kindern," and today is called "Haus zu den Störchen." "It just happened that way," he says. The apartment became available back then, and he moved from a newly built apartment in Rieth to the Krämerbrücke. The contrast could hardly have been greater, as the apartment seemed rather dark and the ceilings oppressively low. "But I looked out of the window, the Gera sparkled. Living above the water – at the highest point of the bridge – that’s when I decided: I want to live here. That decision was right; I am happy and grateful that I can live here," says Josef Englert.

From the liveliness of the city center, nothing can be heard on the upper floor; it is quiet here, even during the Krämerbrückenfest. “I enjoy it when I look down, it is always an experience. My sink is right under the window. I see the city guides, see when people are picnicking by the river. I enjoy being in the midst of life.”

On one side, you look out over the Gera River, and you see the mikveh. “From my apartment, I can see six church towers!” Josef Englert says enthusiastically. Over the course of 30 years, he has experienced a lot. A lot has been renovated, and the houses have been modernized. He also witnessed the excavation and restoration of the medieval Jewish mikveh from 2007 to 2011, able to watch the work from his apartment.

Much has also changed in the apartment over the past three decades. The electrical system is new, the ceilings have returned to their original height after the temporarily installed drywall was removed and everything was replastered with clay to match the original. He had his bathroom remodeled at his own expense according to his own ideas and in line with the architectural conditions. Two rooms, kitchen, bathroom – lovingly furnished, and you can tell that a professional in the restoration of antique furniture lives here. The rooms are also enhanced by works from his earlier creations as a wood artist, adding to their wonderful atmosphere.
"An old house like this is something very special. The stairs creak, there are practically no right angles. I like that," says Josef Englert.

What is very important to him is the community among the residents of the Krämerbrücke houses: "People know each other on the bridge. The friendly interaction is very pleasant. It's a universe of its own." And: "I hope that the bridge can be preserved, there is still a lot that needs to be done."

A project of
KoWo-Kommunale Wohnungsgesellschaft mbH Erfurt

Editorial office: K-Concept Elxleben
Photos: Fotograf Marcel Krummrich

Dream fulfilled

View and panorama from the loggia

The long, narrow loggia offers a great view of the bustling life along the river. Here, on the north side of the Krämerbrücke, people meet up – whether on the lawns, the long stone benches, or in the surrounding restaurants and cafés.
The view is framed by a net that ensures the two local tomcats don't fall. Toy windmills in the lushly planted flower boxes keep small birds from squeezing through the mesh and putting themselves in danger – cats have no sense of humor about that.

The incredibly cozy apartment is the home of Dr. Jutta Lindemann – right in the middle of the Krämerbrücke: "To be in one of the upper rooms, where you can gain not only a special perspective but also an incomparable view into and from the very special organism of the Krämerbrücke phenomenon, is something I have had the honor and joy of experiencing for almost twenty years. Surely all other bridge residents also see it as a privilege to live in the heart of our lovable old city and, by moving in, have become a living part of a historical and highly vibrant work of art," she describes the residence in its layers of comfort and intimacy, of mutual acquaintance, of harmony with the neighbors and other bridge inhabitants: "It's like one big extended family here. We all share a common basis: an affinity for art and culture. You feel safe and at home."

The teacher of art education and German, who later trained art educators herself at the Dr. Theodor Neubauer University of Education in Erfurt, who earned a doctorate in art education, has dedicated herself to the cultural and artistic life of the city. She has, among other things, directed the cultural office, works in art research, and has conceived and coordinated exhibitions. And of course, she is an artist herself. Her current works push the limits of what is possible with graphic software, open up new perspectives, and bring hidden beauty to light.

"The bridge is like a big ship," says Jutta Lindemann. Her apartment spans two floors. She had applied for the rooms after the newly established university moved out, and had the layout redesigned to her liking. Finally, the balcony – the loggia – was the deciding factor in her moving in here. The water beneath the house, the half-timbered structure, the community of bridge residents – her dreams came true.

* Source: www.lindaspixelwelten.de

A project of
KoWo-Kommunale Wohnungsgesellschaft mbH Erfurt

Editorial office: K-Concept Elxleben
Photos: Fotograf Marcel Krummrich

„For us, it was a palace - huge!“

Proud to be allowed to live here

Since 1984, the Perleberg family has been living on the Krämerbrücke. After a one-and-a-half-room apartment on Ottostraße without a bathroom and with an outdoor toilet, the decision was clear: 'We’re going to do it.' In the mid-1980s, it was not a given to move into the historic old town, where many houses were in need of renovation. But the apartment on the Krämerbrücke initially offered a lot of space: 107 square meters. 'For us, it was a palace – huge,' the Perlebergs recall. A tiled stove in the living room and a bath stove for hot baths provided a manageable level of comfort, which, however, made carrying coal in winter necessary. Because storage space was extremely limited, the briquettes had to be obtained on a weekly rotation with the bookstore located on the ground floor. In 1985/86, a central heating system was installed. But it took a while until all the radiators were installed and painted by themselves. For the first time, the heating worked in the turn of the year 1989/90. Now the water pipes were also laid from the outside into the houses.

The tiled stove had to be dismantled and disposed of for structural reasons. The Perlebergs' apartment extends over one floor across two houses, numbers 18 and 19. Only in this way could the rooms be made more spacious in the otherwise very narrow buildings. The heating system is an endless story. An entrepreneur from the Netherlands had donated a new heating system. It only operated for one winter, then for reasons that are no longer understandable, it was disposed of and another one was installed. That one has now been running for about 30 years. The bathroom was modernized, the bathtub was replaced by a shower, and the pipes were boxed in and thus made invisible. This was done as a self-help project with support from KoWo mbH Erfurt.

The Perlebergs had to endure a nerve-wracking ordeal that lasted a year and a half – with a happy ending. Due to the assertion of so-called restitution claims, meaning the return of previously expropriated houses, the rooms were measured and inspected. Ultimately, houses No. 18 and 19 remained the property of the city.

In addition to the size, the great location, and above all because of the very good neighborhood, the Perlebergs enjoy living on the Krämerbrücke. Lutz Perleberg was a long-time member of the Old Town Initiative, which is committed to keeping the Krämerbrücke just as it is: a bridge of merchants, not some modern shops. Every year there is a festival organized exclusively by the residents of the bridge for themselves. Everyone brings something to eat or drink, and tables, chairs, cutlery, and dishes are simply brought out from the houses onto the bridge. It is a celebration that is both traditional and spontaneous.

"We think it’s wonderful that the focus has been put on the fact that it is a fully built and inhabited bridge. We are proud to be able to live here."

A project of
KoWo-Kommunale Wohnungsgesellschaft mbH Erfurt

Editorial office: K-Concept Elxleben
Photos: Fotograf Marcel Krummrich

„Unfortunately, Erfurt doesn't have a castle.“

Beaver tails for the dream apartment on Krämerbrücke

It took six years for Joachim Saynisch to move into his apartment in House No. 23 on Krämerbrücke. He was awarded the apartment in 1987, and in 1993, the time finally came. There was a severe housing shortage in the GDR. Relief was provided through new housing developments on the outskirts of the city starting in the 1970s. They offered comforts that many of the historic inner-city buildings could not provide: district heating, hot water, modern bathrooms, often balconies. The walls in the new buildings were straight and arranged at right angles. The ceilings were at a pleasant height.

But Joachim Saynisch was captivated by those historical buildings with their very own charm. No wonder, since he spent his childhood and youth in an apartment in Quedlinburg Castle. This impressive home was thanks to the courage of his mother, who lived with her husband and four children in very cramped conditions. All attempts to get a larger apartment initially failed. The last resort: a telegram to the then President of the GDR, Wilhelm Pieck. That was in 1955. The castle apartment, formerly reserved for the city's mayors, became available when its owner moved to West Germany. At that time, still before the Berlin Wall was built, this was not unusual.

After completing his training as a plumber, Joachim Saynisch went to study at the School of Engineering for Civil Engineering here in Erfurt. After finishing his studies, the young family was able to move into an apartment on Raiffeisenstraße. Yet the longing for a historic setting remained unfulfilled. "Unfortunately, Erfurt doesn't have a castle," Joachim Saynisch expressed his regret on the one hand, and his desire to live on the Krämerbrücke on the other.

House number 23, still his domicile today, was one of the first five houses on the Krämerbrücke to be renovated. To take fire protection into account, the dilapidated chimney should first be demolished. To close the gap in the roof, 200 beaver tails were needed – roof tiles that were almost impossible to find at the time. Joachim Saynisch found such beaver tails in an attic of a barn that belonged to the Farmers' Trade Cooperative (BHG). The bricks were left to him and theoretically the renovation of the Krämerbrückenhaus could have started now.

But before that, the building had to be vacated. An elderly lady moved out. Sabine Sauerbrei's weaving workshop, which was located on the ground floor, was temporarily accommodated in one of the rooms of the Saynisch apartment on Raiffeisenstraße. The spaces temporarily available for private use by Sabine Sauerbrei were provided by KoWo mbh Erfurt.

In November 1993, Sabine Sauerbrei’s weaving workshop moved to the ground floor, and Joachim Saynisch moved into the apartment above in house no. 23. Today, this apartment is a remarkably beautiful residence, designed with great passion and attention to detail, and its resident is knowledgeable about all matters concerning the history of the bridge and the house.