Width at front: c. 4.3 metres
The Rost was the birthplace of the author Ludwig Börne and was one of the sights of the Judengassse in the 19th century. Originally the plot was occupied by a house called Schwarzer Ring, which had been built during the creation of the Judengasse in 1460/62 by a Jew from Cologne. Around 1575 the house was divided into two units. As the occupants of the Schwarzer Ring had gone bankrupt and been expelled from the city, the new houses were called Rost and Gelber Ring. The house sign showed a grill with two fishes on it. The Rost was always occupied by very influential and prosperous families in the Judengasse Drach, Guggenheim, Oppenheimer and Baruch, the family that produced Ludwig Börne. Samuel Drach, who lived here around 1694, was an imperial commissary. He employed two menservants and two maids, an unusually large domestic staff. The next owner was Josef Guggenheim or Oppenheimer, who lived here from around 1705 and was a moneylender or banker. He also maintained a large establishment, with three maids, two menservants and a tutor. This was undoubtedly one the largest establishments in the crowded Judengasse. In 1781 Jakob Baruch moved in after his marriage to Julie Gumperz and ran a moneylending business in the house. On 6 May 1786 the author Ludwig Börne was born here as Juda Löb Baruch. His brothers carried on the father's moneylending business. The house was destroyed in the fire of 1711 but soon rebuilt. In 1879 the city took it over for demolition. Previously a group of citizens had tried in vain to preserve the house, a project which the city council rejected on financial grounds. In memory of Ludwig Börne the Judengasse was renamed Börnestraße and the Judenmarkt renamed Börneplatz after 1885.