House Goldener Greif

Width at front: c. 2 metres
The (Goldener) Greif was built in 1594. The majority of the documented inhabitants are members of a Mainz family. Around 1700 Sekle Mainz was trading in "feathers", frequently used as decoration in the fashions of the day. Feathers were regarded as a luxury item, and Sekle Mainz was praised on his gravestone as a "respected, upright and honest" man. His brother Mendle held the position of a leader in the community administration, an honorary position which was generally reserved for prominent families. Most of the members of the Mainz family appear to have been very prosperous. In the great fires in the Judengasse in 1711, 1721 and 1796 the house was destroyed three times. It was rebuilt after the first two fires, but after the 1796 fire it was decided to redevelop the entire northern end of the Judengasse on spacious lines, in the course of which the house disappeared finally.