Deutsche Bundesbank Lübeck, Historical bank building in Lübeck, Germany.
The former Reichsbank building at Holstentorplatz 2–2a is a three-story red brick structure in a Heimatschutzstil enlarged with monumentalizing neoclassical elements. Its 15-axis long side faces the square, with nine tall limestone-framed windows of the former counter hall spanning two floors. The east end has a four-column natural stone portico; the door grilles are by Julius Schramm, the column capitals and terracotta frieze by Paul Merling. A sandstone-clad extension from 2000 stands on the north side.
The Lübeck branch of the Reichsbank first occupied the neo-Gothic house at Königstraße 42, built for that purpose in 1894/95. Construction of the larger building on Holstentorplatz began in 1934 under Reichsbank building director Heinrich Wolff, and from 1936 it housed the Reichsbank main office in Lübeck. From 1948 to 1957 it served the Landeszentralbank of Schleswig-Holstein, then the Deutsche Bundesbank until the branch closed on 31 March 2015. In 2024 the state of Schleswig-Holstein bought it for 4.75 million euros for the Musikhochschule Lübeck, largely funded by the Possehl Foundation, with official handover on 18 November 2024.
The entrance hall has leaded glass windows showing trade scenes and a wall plaque by Hans Uhl of Berlin honouring Lübeck Reichsbank staff killed in the First World War. The 16.70 by 30 metre former counter hall is decorated with a painting by Ferdinand Spiegel depicting Henry the Lion, founder of Lübeck.
The building is centrally located in Lübeck and easily accessible on foot; the exterior can be viewed from public spaces. Since the structure is not open for regular visits today, interest focuses on its architectural facade and place within the city's historic layout.
The purchase price in 2024 was 4.75 million euros, most of it covered by the Possehl Foundation; the state of Schleswig-Holstein bought the building for the Musikhochschule Lübeck, which took it over on 18 November 2024. The Bundesbank branch had closed on 31 March 2015 and was used until 2023 as an outpost of the Hamburg branch.
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