Fontanehaus, Birth house and residential building at Karl-Marx-Straße, Neuruppin, Germany.
Fontanehaus is a three-story residential building on Karl-Marx-Straße in Neuruppin marked by symmetrical windows and a central entrance reflecting 19th-century German architecture. The ground floor houses the Löwenapotheke pharmacy, which defines the building's character today and preserves the traditional appearance of its facade.
Merchant Louis Henry Fontane purchased the building in 1819, and his son Theodor was born here on December 30 of that year, later becoming one of the most significant German writers of the 19th century. The structure thus marks the beginning of a life that would deeply shape German literature.
The building carries the name of the famous writer Theodor Fontane, whose family lived here and whose connection to this place remains present today. The Löwenapotheke pharmacy on the ground floor with its golden lion sign has been a recognized local feature for generations, linking the town's medical traditions with its literary history.
The private residential areas are not accessible to visitors, but the exterior facade and the historic pharmacy with its distinctive lion sign can be observed from outside. The building sits centrally on Karl-Marx-Straße and is easily reached on foot to get a sense of the architecture and local history.
Contemporary artist Robert Werner Wagner maintains a studio in the same building where Theodor Fontane spent his childhood. This connection between the literary past of the 19th century and living artistic practice today creates a space where history and creative work exist side by side.
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