Aktuell gibt es zum ältesten Paternoster der Welt (und Hamburgs) einen Skandal. Der Investor hat den zu Teilen sanierten und funktionsfähigen Umlauffahrstuhl möglicherweise entfernen lassen. Das Denkmalschutzamt bereitet derzeit das Ordnungswidrigkeitsverfahren wegen des Paternoster-Ausbaus gegen Bauherr Müller-Speer vor. Den aktuellen Artikel im Abendblatt finden Sie hier.

Da im Moment kein Zugang möglich ist, werden die Bilder später nachgereicht…

The Flüggerhöfe were built between 1888 and 1937. The Flüggerhaus, part of the ensemble, was built by Frejtag and Wurzbach between 1907 and 1908 for the Flügger company. A special feature is the paternoster installed there, a circulating elevator. It is the oldest paternoster in the world.
The site on Hamburg’s Rödingsmarkt stood empty for years and was sold several times. The investor Müller-Spreer was awarded the contract for the Flüggerhöfe and is now developing the site with its old substance, part of which is a listed building.

Since no access is possible at the moment, the pictures will be submitted later…

A scandal is currently unfolding regarding the world’s—and Hamburg’s—oldest paternoster elevator. The investor may have had the circulating elevator—which had already been partially restored and was fully functional—removed. The Office for the Preservation of Monuments is currently preparing administrative proceedings against the developer, Müller-Speer, in connection with the removal of the paternoster. You can find the latest article in the *Abendblatt* here.

Near his home in Hamburg Bahrenfeld, architect Karl Schneider built 1928-29 a residential complex with apartment buildings (42 apartments) and 12 terraced houses. Three shops with beautifully curved shop windows offer commercial space. An overview of the residential complex can be found on the Karl Schneider Society website. One of the terraced houses was painstakingly restored to its original condition by a couple of architects. The architects from acollage involved in the renovation provide an insight into the project here. The photos were taken on Heritage Day 2025 during a guided tour by the Karl Schneider Society.

Gerhofstraße on Gänsemarkt consists of just a few houses. It is only 100 meters long. An inconspicuous building houses a very beautiful staircase. The banister looks playful. The building houses medical practices and offices. It was built around the turn of the century in 1900.

Unfortunately, very little information is available about the building Merckhof. If you can help (year of construction, architect), I would be grateful. In 2019, it was renovated and refurbished by https://www.maa-architekten.de.

The modern office building from the 1960s is located near Mönckebergstraße. Unfortunately, there is very little information about it online. I would appreciate any information about the year of construction and the architect. Thank you very much! The beautiful round staircase is definitely interesting. A semicircle of windows provides light.

Not a Kontorhaus in the sense of the website, but a beautiful property in Hamburg’s city center: the Hypothekenbank building in Hohe Bleichen street from 1897. The bank was founded in 1871 and merged into Deutsche Hypothekenbank Frankfurt Hamburg AG in 1998. The building is a listed building and underwent extensive modernization in 2006 by https://sehw-architekten.de. In addition, the building was given two additional, modern attic floors. It now houses office space and a restaurant.

The Gronehaus in Hermannstrasse was built in 1905-1906 by architects Leon Frejtag (1862-1927) and Hermann Wurzbach (1865-1905). The client was Heinrich Grone, whose commercial schools have existed since 1895 and still do today. The architects Schiefler & Denke (now https://denkerdenker.de) were responsible for the renovation and extension of the building in 1993. Restoration work was carried out in 2007.

The old Oberpostdirektion is not an office building in the sense described on the website. However, this building is very central and striking in Hamburg and deserves attention. It was built for Deutsche Post between 1883 and 1887 by August Kind and Julius Raschdorf. In 2011, it underwent extensive renovation by https://lh-architekten.de/office. Today, it is home to medical facilities and municipal businesses. The old stairwells have been preserved and are a delight to behold: https://abendfarben.com/hamburgs-schoene-treppenhaeuser-dammtor-hauptpost

Ein prächtiges Treppenhaus empfängt den Besucher und führt großzügig nach oben. Das Kontorhaus ist denkmalsgeschützt. Der Name rührt vom Besuch des deutschen Kaisers im Palais der Familie Jenisch. Dieses stand vor dem Bau an dieser Stelle.

Kaisergalerie office building: Located on the canal, the Kaisergalerie office building was built between 1907 and 1909 on behalf of Anton Emden. The architect was Emil Grossner (1871-1947) A magnificent staircase welcomes the visitor and leads generously upwards.

The famous Ohnsorg Theater moved into the building in 1936. In 2011, the extensive renovation of the gallery by HN Architekten and David Chipperfield Architects. This was reopened in 2015. The offices underwent a complete refurbishment from 2020-2023. The Kontorhaus is a listed building. The name comes from the visit of the German Emperor to the Jenisch family’s palace. It stood on this site before the palace was built.

Der Sohn Bachs, Max Bach (-) war für Umbauten in den 1920er Jahren und für den Wiederaufbau nach den Kriegsschäden 1948 verantwortlich. Weitere Bauten sind die Seeburg und das Semperhaus.

The Barkhof by Franz Bach
In Mönckebergstraße, connected to Spitaler Straße, stands a striking building: the Barkhof C by Franz Bach (1865-1935) from 1910, very modern for the time of its construction with heating, paternoster and elevator. The large office building has seven storeys. Bach’s son, Max Bach (-), was responsible for the conversions in the 1920s and for the reconstruction after the war damage in 1948.