Fregehaus (Frege House), Leipzig

The Frege House (Fregehaus), one of Leipzig’s most striking and historically rich buildings, stands proudly in the city center as a testament to Renaissance and Baroque architectural mastery. Originally built around 1535, this four-winged structure was transformed into its current Baroque form between 1706 and 1707 by Johann Gregor Fuchs, a renowned Leipzig master builder, for the merchant Gottfried Otto. The renovation included the addition of a symmetrical main façade adorned with a decorative bay window and 16 dormer windows arranged in four rows on the steep, 62-degree inclined roof. Despite the Baroque modifications, elements of the original Renaissance style remain, such as the cross vault of the courtyard entrance and portals on the ground floor.

In 1782, the house was purchased by Christian Gottlob Frege II, a prominent banker who established his trading and banking house on the premises. The Frege family’s banking business operated from the Frege House until 1945, and commercial activities, with state involvement, continued until 1976. The building's historical significance is underscored by its notable visitors, including Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and other dignitaries from German princely houses.

From 1978, the Frege House served as the headquarters for the VEB Leipzig Monument Preservation, which undertook extensive renovations from 1980 to 1986. Today, it stands as a beautifully preserved example of Baroque architecture, rich with Leipzig’s commercial and cultural heritage.