Palais Heydenab

The Palais Heydenab stands on Gunzenhausen’s Marktplatz, in the heart of Mittelfranken. It is a two-storey Baroque mansion with a mansard roof and rusticated corner pilasters. A broad flight of steps leads up to a central projection topped by a small gable. The building is part of a protected ensemble that includes the town hall, churches and surrounding streets. It sits at 415 metres above sea level, close to the city church. The palace was begun in 1748 as a town hall but funds ran short. Johann David Steingruber redesigned it for Ernst von Heydenab from 1750 onwards. From 1797 to 1937 it housed a Prussian tax office and later a confectioner’s shop. In 1937 the local museum moved in, and since 1981 a branch of a commercial bank occupies part of the building. Inside, visitors find the museum’s collections displayed across two floors. The staircase and main rooms retain original features from the 18th century. Outside, the stepped entrance and symmetrical façade look out onto the lively square. The surrounding streets are lined with other listed buildings, giving a sense of Gunzenhausen’s historic centre.