Gadenstedt House and Parish Church Courtyard

The Oberpfarrkirchhof, or parish church courtyard is located at the heart of the first settlement of Wernigerode, which dates back around one thousand years. It is the former churchyard of St. Sylvester.The Gadenstedt House stands to the south of the parish church courtyard. Although it was restored in 1898, the building was originally built in the mid-15th century by the counts’ estate officer Dietrich von Gadenstedt. Only the upper floor was constructed in half-timbered fashion, the ground floor is made of stone and is evidence of the owner’s affluence. The elegant wood-panelled bay window was added during the High Renaissance period, in the year 1582. This cantilevered bay is lavishly decorated with beams and ornate abutments. Even the gabled windows are styled in highly artistic fashion...