Falkenhaus (House to the Falcon), Wurzburg

The House to the Falcon is a prominent building located on the market square.The building served as the residence for the cathedral priest from 1338. In 1735, the property was acquired by Franz Thomas Meißner, an innkeeper, and was subsequently operated as the "Zum Falken" inn. In 1751, the widow of Meißner commissioned the construction of the three-gabled, stucco-decorated Rococo facade that adorns the building to this day. Throughout the 19th century, the House to the Falcon functioned as Würzburg's sole venue for concerts and dances.

Tragically, during World War II, the House to the Falcon was completely destroyed in a bombing raid on March 16, 1945, resulting in the collapse of parts of its facade. Recognizing its historical significance, the city of Würzburg purchased the property in 1939. The reconstruction of the facade was initially delayed, but in 1947, Rudolf Schlick, the Würzburg government architect, supported its restoration for reasons of monument preservation. The reconstruction, carried out in the early 1950s by the Würzburg municipal building authority based on old photographs, is considered exemplary according to the Dehio art manual. However, the internal organization of the building was adapted to contemporary purposes.

Since 1952, the House to the Falcon has housed the tourist information center and the central city library of Würzburg. Discussions in later decades considered incorporating the building into a department store complex, but preserving the recreated Rococo facade was a priority. In 1993, the city library in the House to the Falcon underwent reconstruction and expansion. The Falkenhof, which had served as a youth center since 1972, and the former Falken or central halls accessible via Marienplatz were demolished during this period.