Haus Jägerei (Hunting House)
The Jägerei (Hunting House), the representative corner building at Gallusstrasse 34, was owned by wealthy textile merchants for centuries, including the Steck, Zollikofer and von Watt families.
History:
The first known owner of the Jägerei was Bartholomäus Steck, a brother-in-law of the St.Gallen reformist Joachim von Watt (also known as Vadian). Through marriage and inheritance, the house came to be owned by Vadian’s nephew David Zollikofer, who had it expanded in 1597. Both the Stecks and the Zollikofers belonged to St.Gallen’s upper classes, who had made a fortune through the linen trade and gained influence through political offices. The neighbouring buildings at Gallusplatz – for example “Haus zur Wahrheit” – were also owned by members of this economic and social elite. One element of these families’ lifestyle was also the bearing of arms and in some cases also titles. All of the families who owned homes at Gallusplatz also had representative country seats in the surrounding countryside at some stage.
Architecture:
From outside, the building seems to be split into a large northern and a southern part. This reflects the original use: the northern wing served as a storage space for wares, the southern wing was lived in. The oldest parts of the building date back to around 1500; in 1597 it was expanded. It took its present-day form in the middle of the 18th Century, when the south wing was adjusted to the north wing and the striking oriel was added (1756). It is the only three-story oriel in the city, and in addition was not, as in most cases, built on the central axis of the building, further accentuating the partition of the building.
Present-day use:
Today, the Jägerei is home to the DomZentrum. The property is used for religious, cultural and educational purposes. It houses the offices of the Deacon as well as the administration of the catholic parish of St.Gallen.
The first known owner of the Jägerei was Bartholomäus Steck, a brother-in-law of the St.Gallen reformist Joachim von Watt (also known as Vadian). Through marriage and inheritance, the house came to be owned by Vadian’s nephew David Zollikofer, who had it expanded in 1597. Both the Stecks and the Zollikofers belonged to St.Gallen’s upper classes, who had made a fortune through the linen trade and gained influence through political offices. The neighbouring buildings at Gallusplatz – for example “Haus zur Wahrheit” – were also owned by members of this economic and social elite. One element of these families’ lifestyle was also the bearing of arms and in some cases also titles. All of the families who owned homes at Gallusplatz also had representative country seats in the surrounding countryside at some stage.
Architecture:
From outside, the building seems to be split into a large northern and a southern part. This reflects the original use: the northern wing served as a storage space for wares, the southern wing was lived in. The oldest parts of the building date back to around 1500; in 1597 it was expanded. It took its present-day form in the middle of the 18th Century, when the south wing was adjusted to the north wing and the striking oriel was added (1756). It is the only three-story oriel in the city, and in addition was not, as in most cases, built on the central axis of the building, further accentuating the partition of the building.
Present-day use:
Today, the Jägerei is home to the DomZentrum. The property is used for religious, cultural and educational purposes. It houses the offices of the Deacon as well as the administration of the catholic parish of St.Gallen.