Haus Washington (Washington House)
The Washington house on the Rosenbergstrasse served the Iklé family as their headquarters. The Iklé’s were one of the most influential textile dynasties in the region during the second half of the 19th century. The naming refers to the international orientation of their business activities.
History:
Leopold Iklé (1838-1922), son of a Jewish merchants in Hamburg, settled in St.Gallen after previous business contacts in 1861 and got involved with leading merchant and industry committees. As a merchant and cosmopolitan, aesthete and manufacturer, he found his passion in embroidery and the development of new manufacturing techniques. Together with his brother Adolf (1852-1923), he led «Iklé Frères», one of the leading companies in embroidery manufacturing and export.
Architecture:
The neo-baroque, four-storey Viennese palace “Washington” is constructed of white limestone. The right-angled wings form a courtyard. The ground floor is made of granite, the upper three floors are cladded in white limestone and are richly decorated. The central gate leads into a yard.
Present-day use:
After World War II, when the renowned textile company Stoffel moved into the “Washington”, the building was already owned by the Helvetia – the first Swiss transit insurance company. Fine weaves did not only need mercantile grasp and knowledge, but also a protective hand to reduce risks that came with constantly growing transport volumes to a corporately bearable dimension. Today several central services of Helvetia Insurance Group, a leading Swiss Insurance company with head offices in St.Gallen are located in the Washington House.