Ballenhaus, Former goods warehouse in Schongau, Bavaria, Germany

The Ballenhaus is a freestanding structure with stepped gables on its north and south sides, positioned between Marienplatz and Lindenplatz. The building displays typical medieval warehouse architecture designed to showcase and protect merchant goods.

Built in 1420 to store merchant goods, the structure underwent major reconstruction from 1493 to 1515 following a significant city fire. This rebuilding shaped its present form with the characteristic stepped gables.

The upper hall hosted the town council's meetings, and the building was also used by the cantor and the schoolmaster. Since the 1987 renovation the upper floor has served as an event hall, while the ground floor holds a restaurant.

The Ballenhaus stands between Marienplatz and Lindenplatz, so it works as a landmark when crossing the old town. The ground floor holds a restaurant and the upper floor an event hall; both are reached from the squares, and the stepped gables are visible from either side.

The 1405 ducal permit let foreign merchants store goods here, and from 1407 a public scale was approved; storage fees became a key source of income for Schongau. Between 1858 and 1860 a third of the building was demolished.