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[1] House Schaber - birthplace of Hermann Hesse

Description

Hermann Hesse was born here on Monday, 2 July 1877, at 6.30 pm in the flat on the second floor. The former residential and business premises of the colonial goods merchant Emil Dreiß became the Traugott Schiler textile shop in 1882, and later the Friedrich Daur textile shop. Today it houses the Schaber fashion house. The parents, Johannes and Marie Hesse, have lived in this flat since their marriage in 1874. Between 1873 and 1881, Johannes Hesse worked for his father-in-law Hermann Gundert at the Calwer Verlagsverein publishing house, which published Christian writings. Hesse´s older sister Adele (1875-1949) was born here on 15 August 1875. Hermann Hesse is baptised in the house by his grandfather Hermann Gundert on 3 August 1877. Three more siblings were also born here: Paul (14 July 1878 - 17 December 1878), Gertrud (6 August 1879 - 30 March 1880) and Marie, called Marulla (27 November 1880 - 17 March 1953). The Hesse family lived on the second floor of this house until 1881. Hermann Hesse was born here on 2 July 1877. He spent his childhood and youth in Calw and repeatedly mentioned the town of his birth in his works. The Hermann Hesse Museum, with many documents and artefacts relating to the life and work of the Nobel Prize winner, is located just a few steps away in Haus Schüz on Oberer Marktplatz.

Significance for the city history tour:

In 1697, five years after the construction of the current building at Marktplatz 6, a merchant moved in here - and it has remained a trading house to this day. It became particularly famous as the birthplace of Hermann Hesse.