Kaiserworth, Historic guild house in Market Square, Goslar, Germany.
The Kaiserworth is a late-Gothic guild house from the 15th century, standing on the Market Square in Goslar, Germany. Its three-story stone facade features carved figures set into niches, decorative reliefs, and an arcade running along the ground floor.
The building was completed in 1494 and served as a meeting place for cloth merchants and other trade guilds. It was later converted into a hotel in the 19th century, while the original facade was kept intact.
The exterior carries eight carved emperor figures that reflect how closely Goslar was tied to the Holy Roman Empire. Alongside them, figures representing medieval craft guilds give a face to the working people who once shaped the city.
The building stands directly on the Market Square and is easy to reach on foot from the town center. Taking a moment to walk close to the facade allows you to spot the carved details that are hard to notice from a distance.
Among the figures on the facade, there is one known as the Dukatenmännchen, which appears to squeeze coins out of its body. This kind of figure was a common way to symbolize wealth and the spirit of trade in medieval German merchant towns.
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