Accompanying publication "1823 - Architectural jewel Hofer Neustadt" published

The Museum Bayerisches Vogtland has presented the publication accompanying the special exhibition "1823 - Architectural jewel Hofer Neustadt - House stories from the town fire to the present day". The hardcover book has been published in the series of publications by the Department of Culture of the City of Hof. The authors Dr. Magdalena Bayreuther and Sabine Schaller-John present the contents of the exhibition in a compact form and vividly highlight the special features of the Biedermeier quarter and interesting house stories. In doing so, they go beyond what is shown in the exhibition and enrich it with facts and exciting details.

Mayor Eva Döhla: "The exhibition 1823 - Architectural Jewel Hofer Neustadt was the highlight of the commemorative year marking the 200th anniversary of the Hofer town fire. The exhibition is over. But this book is now available to buy and is here to stay. I would like to thank the Langnamenverein and the Rotary Club Hof-Bayern for supporting this publication."

The great fire of September 4, 1823 reduced around 90 percent of Hof's new town to rubble. The town hall, St. Michael's Church and almost 300 residential and commercial buildings burned to the ground. Around 3,000 people, almost two thirds of Hof's population at the time, were left homeless and lost their belongings. An unprecedented catastrophe in the history of Hof. In record time and with support from home and abroad, the "new" Hof New Town blossomed from the ruins - a rare architectural jewel in the style of the early 19th century in Germany. Neoclassical facades have characterized this part of town ever since. Many houses in the area around Ludwigstraße, Maxplatz, Karolinenstraße, Auguststraße and Klosterstraße, affectionately known by the people of Hof as the "Biedermeier quarter", have fascinating stories to tell and various details show that not all was lost after the fire.

To mark the 200th anniversary of the fire, an exhibition was held in the museum that focused on the rebuilt houses and their stories in addition to the fire and reconstruction. In this richly illustrated publication, all the contents of the exhibition are taken up and supplemented by a guest contribution on "Fire disasters in Upper Franconia in the 19th century".

The publication of the book is supported by the Nordoberfränkischer Verein für Natur-, Geschichts- und Landeskunde e.V. Hof (Langnamenverein) and the Rotary Club Hof-Bayern. The book with numerous illustrations on 132 pages in 21 cm x 21 cm format costs 25 euros and is available in the museum and in bookshops in Hof.