200 years of the Hof city fire
1823 - Architectural jewel Hofer Neustadt
The tower keeper Christoph Klauß waits in the belfry of St. Michael's Church until the very end to warn the people of Hof: Hof is on fire! A fire broke out in the lower Ludwigstraße on September 4, 1823, destroying the entire new town around the town hall, with a few exceptions. Christoph Klauß and his wife died in the tower. Nine out of ten families in Hof lost their homes.
However, the new town of Hof was rebuilt. And has left its descendants a unique jewel in Germany: a large, largely original architectural ensemble in the classicist style. We would like to commemorate this transformation, this renewal of the city and invite all visitors to delve deeper into the city's history.
You can download the complete program here:
City guide for kids
On tour with the Wärschtlamo
The history of the city of Hof is just one of the three components of the Hof city guide for kids by city curator Leo Reichel. There is also a puzzle tour through Hof's city center and lots of tips and sights. The city guide for kids aged between 10 and 16 is available free of charge from the Tourist Information Office (Ludwigstraße 24, 95028 Hof).
On 40 pages, the city of Hof is presented from the perspective of a Hofer Wärtschlamos. With colorful pictures and illustrations, children are guided through the history of Hof, from the first settlement to the opening of the border. Again and again there are exciting explanations of Hof personalities, the Hof doorman Christoph Klauß is honored as well as Jean Paul. The term Biedermeier is also explained.
Hof city fire
A very special spirit
Together with the Meinel brewery, city marketing coordinator Carsten Reichel has developed a spirit for the commemorative year: "We created the city fire with a twinkle in our eye. As there is a site with distilling rights in the immediate vicinity of the site of the fire at the time, the idea of producing a distillate in the commemorative year was obvious," says Carsten Reichel.
The basis of the Stadtbrand 1823 is a distillate distilled from fresh Meinel beer, which was macerated ("set") with allspice and then matured on wood. Beer as a distillate is characterized by particularly soft and harmonious aroma impressions. The initially colorless distillate smells of honey and caramel with slightly fruity nuances and unfolds its beery character on the palate, velvety soft in the finish.
Allspice, also known as clove or Jamaica pepper, is an evergreen tree that is cultivated on the West Indian islands in Central and South America and in India. Its round berries are reminiscent of juniper. The fruit is harvested half-ripe (still green) and then dried in the sun until reddish-brown to black-brown in order to retain its full aroma. Eugenol, which is also found in cloves, is the dominant essential oil in allspice. Allspice is both very aromatic and sweet and spicy, reminiscent of cinnamon, cardamom and coriander as well as cloves.
Enhanced with allspice, the city brandy takes on a slightly peppery and "burning" character. Finally matured on wood, which gives Stadtbrand 1823 its golden yellow color and also enhances its aroma and maturity, the phenolic substances play a special role in the wood maturation process. In the aroma, these can be perceived as generally whisky-like, woody and coconut-like aromas. Vanillin is another highly relevant aromatic substance in wood maturation. The subtle woody notes, paired with the sweet, spicy and slightly pungent aromas of allspice and the high alcohol content of 44% vol. round off the complexity of Stadtbrand. Stadtbrand 1823 - a pleasure for all the senses. Bottled in the nostalgic 0.5 liter apothecary bottle.
The schnapps is available from the Hof Tourist Information Office and from the Meinel-Bräu brewery for €18.23.
On the road in the latest redevelopment area
Guided tours as part of the refurbishment action days
Numerous events are taking place in Upper Franconia as part of the 2023 Renovation Action Days. There are three guided tours in the area where the Hof town fire raged in 1823. During the city walk on Tuesday, 23 May, you will follow historical and architectural traces in the Biedermeier quarter, the most recent redevelopment area in the city of Hof. Also on Tuesday, May 23, you can visit a residential building in Auguststraße: an example of successful renovation in the Biedermeier quarter. The Volkshochschule Hofer Land with all its special architectural features and past uses will be explored on Wednesday, May 24.
When?
Tuesday, May 23, and Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at 16:00 and 17:00 respectively
How to register
Registration is required. Further information, including the meeting points for the events, can be found at https://hausundhof.bayern/aktionstage2023/. Participation is free of charge.
Biedermeier evening
Guided tour of the VHS buildings
As is well known, the two buildings that are now used by the VHS Hofer Land as an educational center were also affected by the town fire and were rebuilt in the years after 1823. While the façades still largely correspond to the classicist-Biedermeier architecture, the interior of the buildings was repeatedly adapted to different uses. Nevertheless, some elements of the original houses were preserved or uncovered during the most recent renovation. During a guided tour, you will get to know them and learn how these testimonies to the reconstruction were integrated into the new usage concept.
When?
Thursday, June 15, July 13, September 14 and October 5, 2023, each at 6 p.m.
Where?
Hofer Land adult education center, Ludwigstraße 7, 95028 Hof
How to register
Registration at anmeldung(at)vhshoferland.de or phone: 09281 7145-27 is required. Participation is free of charge.
On the town hall tower
Blue hour and midday ringing
On these tours, participants can expect a breathtaking view of the city: early in the morning at the blue hour or at midday, when the mighty ringing of the bells makes the town hall tower shake. You will learn interesting details about the technology in the tower and gain a rare insight into the historic clock case and how the old town hall clock works. What happened during the Hof town fire? And what did the bells look like after 1823? We also explore the question of how the sound of bells is created in the first place. In the town hall tower, you will learn interesting facts about the other bells and tower clocks in Hof and how their ringing differs.
When?
Sunday, June 18, 2023, at 7:00 a.m. Saturday, July 22, 2023, at 11:30 a.m.
Where?
Town hall fountain, Klosterstraße 1, 95028 Hof
Registration form
Registration is not required.
Participation fee
6,00 € per person
Biedermeier city walk
On the historical city walk through Hof, you will be amazed at the events that shaped the city, how church and monastery buildings, wars, sieges, fires, borders and festivals had a direct influence on the lives of the people of Hof and thus on the development of the community. On the occasion of the city fire 200 years ago, the city tour focuses in particular on the Biedermeier quarter and how the city fire started there. Visitors will also learn why the new town of Hof is a unique architectural ensemble and what special architectural features can be seen there.
When?
Sunday, June 18, July 16, August 20, September 17 and October 15, 2023, each at 2 p.m.
Where?
Tourist Information, Ludwigstraße 24, 95028 Hof
How to register
Registration is not required.
Participation fee
6,00 € per person
Architecture tour
Lecture, city tour and tower ascent
After an introductory lecture at the Hofer Land adult education center, Hof architect Uwe Fickenscher will guide you through the new town of Hof. Architectural features will be highlighted from the perspective of those interested in architecture. Afterwards, the towers of St. Michael's can be climbed and the historic tower room can be visited. Afterwards, there will be a stop at Meinels Bas to talk shop and exchange ideas. The tour is made possible by the BDB district group Hof in cooperation with the Hofer Bauhütte e.V. and the parish of St. Michaelis.
When?
Friday, June 30, 2023, 3:00 p.m.
Where?
Adult education center Hofer Land, Ludwigstraße 7, 95028 Hof
How to register
Registration atarchitekturplus(at)t-online.de or phone: 09281 143060 is required. Participation is free of charge.
Evening with a gold rim
Biedermeier in Hof - After-work walks
The great city fire of 1823 devastated almost the entire city center of Hof. The destroyed, often still medieval properties were rebuilt with new building elements and the modern era moved into Hof. Hof's well-preserved townscape from the Biedermeier period is one of the few in Germany, especially on this scale. You can find out more about other topics from this period during the evening walks in the daily press.
When?
Thursday, August 31, September 21 and October 12, 2023, each at 6:00 p.m.
Where?
Hof Tourist Information Office, Ludwigstraße 24, 95028 Hof
How to register
Registration is not required.
Participation fee
6,00 € per person
InnerCourtyardConcert
Ready to print in the town hall courtyard
The area around Hof's town hall fell victim to the flames of the city fire in 1823. The buildings built in the ensuing period form the wonderful backdrop for one of the 25 InnenHofKonzerte concerts taking place in 2023. The town hall courtyard will be the stage for the Frankenpost band "Druckreif", who will be heating up the audience musically on July 6, 2023 from 7 pm. As with all courtyard concerts, admission is of course free of charge. ProHof e. V. and Stadtmarketing are looking forward to welcoming numerous visitors.
When?
Thursday, July 6, 2023, 7:00 p.m.
Where?
Inner courtyard of the Hof town hall
How to register
Registration is not required. Participation is free of charge.
With the sketchpad
... through the Biedermeier quarter
Together with course instructor Gabriele Bujak, interested participants will explore and sketch the historic buildings, squares and streets in the Biedermeier quarter. There are also many details, such as gables or front doors, which are also very suitable for sketching. Please bring various drawing materials with you, if you have them, so that you can try out different techniques. In any case, the following are useful: Sketchpad or sketchbook and pens as required, possibly a mobile seat and provisions. The course is ideal for developing or rediscovering artistic skills.
When?
Saturday, September 2, 2023, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where?
Adult education center Hofer Land, Ludwigstraße 7, 95028 Hof
How to register
Registration at anmeldung(at)vhshoferland.de or phone 09281 7145-27 is required.
Participation fee
25,00 € per person
History board
Now also with QR code
The devastating fire at Ludwigstraße 18 in Hof caught fire in 1823. There was already a memorial plaque on the narrowest house in Hof. However, in order to give not only the people of Hof the opportunity to immerse themselves in the city's history, the Nordoberfränkische Verein für Natur-, Geschichts- und Landeskunde e. V. had a history plaque installed there on September 4, 2023.
For the first time, history board no. 85 also contains a QR code that leads to additional information for all those who want to delve deeper into the topic. The texts are available in German, Czech and English. Twelve other boards in the city center have also been supplemented with a QR code. More boards are to follow.
Memorial chimes
The Hof town fire broke out on September 4, 1823. Many families lost their homes. The tower keeper of St. Michaelis, Christoph Klauß, and his wife perished in the flames. The bells in the three inner city churches of St. Michaelis, St. Lorenz and the Hospitalkirche in Hof will therefore ring for five minutes every quarter of an hour between 9 and 10 a.m. on September 4, 2023.
Memorial service
With the Hof Symphony Orchestra
September 10, 2023 is the Sunday after the town fire 200 years ago. The tower keeper of St. Michael's Church at the time, Christoph Klauß, and his wife died in the flames of the fire, as they warned the people of Hof about the fire until the very end. A service will be held in St. Michael's to commemorate the fire in Hof, accompanied by music from an ensemble of the Hof Symphony Orchestra.
When?
Sunday, September 10, 2023, 9:30 a.m.
Where?
St. Michaelis, Kirchplatz 4, 95028 Hof
Registration form
Registration is not required.
Urban fires
... in the Bavarian and Saxon Vogtland in the 19th century
Although the Hof town fire is unique in the history of fire disasters in the region due to its extent, almost all towns and larger villages in eastern Upper Franconia, the Saxon Vogtland and the Prussian principalities burned down in the 19th century. The lecture by Bernhard Fuchs from Regensburg deals with the various fires, their causes, cross-border solidarity and the reconstruction measures. The Nordoberfränkische Verein für Natur-, Geschichts- und Landeskunde e. V. cordially invites you to attend.
When?
Tuesday, September 12, 2023, 7:30 p.m.
Where?
Hofer Land adult education center, Ludwigstraße 7, 95028 Hof
How to register
Registration at anmeldung(at)vhshoferland.de or phone 09281 7145-27 is required. Participation is free of charge.
Hof Volunteer Fire Brigade
Open day
The volunteer fire department of the city of Hof invites you to an open day on Saturday, September 16, 2023. The colorful program includes various live demonstrations of the vehicles and equipment in the outdoor area as well as the use of the steam-powered fire engine "Elise". One stand will focus on the history of the fire department. Not only will special exhibits be on display there, but there will also be film screenings and short presentations. Interested parties of all ages are cordially invited. Of course, food and drink will also be provided.
When?
Saturday, September 16, 2023, 10:00 a.m.
Where?
Main fire station, Hallplatz 1, 95028 Hof
How to register
Registration is not required. Participation is free of charge.
The allure of quiet things
The Biedermeier era - an underestimated epoch
"During the Vormärz - from the founding of the German Confederation in 1815 to the years of the failed revolution of 1848/49 - a deep rift ran through society. With the restoration after the Napoleonic wars, the monarchs and aristocracy resumed their old rights; the harder they suppressed liberal reforms, the more frequently and decisively sections of the population rose up against them, demanding human rights and freedoms as well as a united German nation. On the other hand, many citizens, both well-behaved subjects and those who felt disappointed in their hopes and intimidated by repression and political uncertainty, retreated into the enclosed precincts of the private sphere and the warmth of the family nest. Since the nineteenth century, this phenomenon has been known as Biedermeier. The Austrian storyteller Adalbert Stifter formulated a "gentle law" as an ideal: man strives for "justice, simplicity, conquest of himself". It is easy to underestimate the historical significance of the era: However, its atmosphere should not be confused with lamblike stuffiness and philistine graveyard tranquillity, as an often prosperous, vividly self-confident, intellectually and economically active middle class, a multifaceted culture of public spirit and education, a visual, poetic and commercial art of good taste and understated elegance emerged - in silence, as it were. And last but not least, satire flourished." - Michael Thumser
The Nordoberfränkische Verein für Natur-, Geschichts- und Landeskunde e. V. cordially invites you to the lecture in the foyer of the Museum Bayerisches Vogtland.
When?
Wednesday, October 4, 2023, 7:00 pm
Where?
Museum Bayerisches Vogtland, Sigmundsgraben 6, 95028 Hof
How to register
Registration is not required. Participation is free of charge.
Exhibition opening 1823 - Architectural jewel Hofer Neustadt
House stories from the town fire to the present day
On Saturday, October 21, 2023, at 5 pm, the Museum Bayerisches Vogtland invites you to the opening of the exhibition "1823 - Architectural jewel Hofer Neustadt: House stories from the city fire to today".
A historical view of Hof shows the view into Ludwigstraße with its three fountains. The towers of St. Michael's Church still have their baroque hoods. The artist must have been familiar with the state of Hof's new town before the devastating fire in 1823. Both the fire and the reconstruction are addressed in the special exhibition.
However, the focus is on various house histories. The buildings of what is now known as the "Biedermeier quarter", which form the heart of Hof as a closed and unique architectural ensemble, tell many stories. Hidden behind the round-arched sandstone gateways are cellar labyrinths, celebrity apartments, discotheques, pharmacies and, with the town hall and St. Michael's Church, the "pillars of power". The exhibition runs until April 7, 2024.
The opening of the exhibition is accompanied by a supporting program: small delicacies from the period can be sampled. As was customary in the 19th century, a zither player will provide background music. Mayor Eva Döhla, museum director Dr. Magdalena Bayreuther and tour guide and co-curator Sabine Schaller-John will open the exhibition and tell the exciting stories about the houses in Hof's Neustadt.
When?
Saturday, October 21, 2023, 5:00 p.m.
Where?
Museum Bayerisches Vogtland, Sigmundsgraben 6, 95028 Hof
How to register
Registration is not required. Participation is free of charge.
Participating institutions and persons
BDB district group Hof in cooperation with Hofer Bauhütte e.V.
Bernhard Fuchs
Evangelical-Lutheran Deanery Hof
Voluntary fire department of the city of Hof e.V.
Hof Symphony Orchestra
Parishes of St. Michaelis, St. Lorenz and Hospitalkirche
Michael Thumser
Bavarian Vogtland Museum
North Upper Franconian Association for Nature, History and Regional Studies e.V.
City of Hof
City guides from the Hof tourist information office
Town curator Leo Reichel
Stadtmarketing Hof e.V.
Uwe Fickenscher from architektur+
Volkshochschule Hofer Land
