English

The old historical barber's

The barber's is situated in the street „Pauritzer Straße" on the "Brühl". In the past the Brühl was the centre of Altenburg. The house itself was built in the 16th or 17th century. In 1926 the barber Arthur Grosse became the owner of the house. He used it as a barber's. Entering into the house you are in the men's area that is followed by the ladies' one. The barber's with its original equipment has a special meaning for the city Altenburg and also across the borders. The equipment consist of a table to do someone's hair, a red and black marble wall, mirrors, chairs, also lights, hair cutters, much little equipment, advertising products and a lot of other things.

The master craftsman Arthur Grosse closed his barber's in 1966. Since that year they say the whole building has been in hibernation. The last owner of the building died in autumn, 2001. The hier of the house offered it for sale. So the guild of hairdressers got information about the situation of the house and searched for a solution to preserve it for the city Altenburg. In the year 2002 they bought it with the idea of restoring and then using it for tourism and also of training/ examining apprentices.




The whole house is a listed building. The trade corporation of East Thuringia has not approved a borrowing, althougt the bank and the guild have a valid agreement, because the law says that the guild must have approval. But because of unknown reasons the trade corporation does not approve the borrowing. So the guild has searched for help and they have found Peter Escher with his TV programme "Ein Fall für Escher". Particulary the chairman Peter Müller is committed when it means to restore the barber's. Through Escher's programme and Müller's enthusiasm for this object the guild has got €30000 on account of the show.

Altogether the guild has €50000. Furthermore the members of the guild work on special days like "The day of the open monuments" and "The night of the museums" to get donations for the building. On such a day they cut hair or they do someone's hair for example. €100000 credit is still missing. In the end we know the trade corporation will never approve, so the guild of hairdressers founded in May 2008 an own organization for the house to get the credit.

From May to October 2008 there is an exhibition in the Altenburg castle to get donations for the building. In this exhibition you can see everything about the factor hair and things from the barber's as well.