Burmeisterska huset, 17th century merchant house in Visby, Sweden
Burmeisterska huset is a wooden building with an overhanging upper floor, half-timbered gables, and construction methods typical of Northern German and Danish styles. The structure displays characteristic features of 17th-century Hanseatic merchant houses.
Hans Burmeister, a merchant from Lübeck, built this house between 1652 and 1654 and kept it as family property for about 200 years until 1851. The building changed hands and purposes afterward, reflecting its continued importance to the city.
The interior walls display pastoral landscape paintings by Johan Bartsch, a notable 17th-century Gotland artist, showing how wealthy merchants decorated their homes. These works reflect the artistic tastes and refinement of the merchant families who lived here.
The building sits between Strandgatan and Donners platz in Visby's historic center, making it easy to reach on foot. As a preserved historical structure, the interior may have narrow passages and uneven floors typical of old buildings.
This building represents one of Sweden's most complete surviving examples of a 17th-century Hanseatic merchant residence, with its original design largely unchanged. The house preserves details that show how successful traders lived and conducted business during that era.
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