House of Arts

The House of Arts is one of the historical buildings of Sibiu mentioned as the Hall of Butchers in the church’s registry books of 1370. It is considered the oldest “guild house” of Transylvania.

In the beginning, the building only had a ground-floor, the arches of which were preserved until today. The first floor was built later on and it was meant for storing, consisting of only one hall. The ground-floor was exclusively used as business area being split into 11 rooms for the carving and marketing of meat. The eight open arcades were owned by the ancient community, as it was mentioned in the town’s Bylaw of 1589. During the 16th – 17th centuries, the grand hall of the first floor served as a gathering area for the skinners guild and after that it became an oats storehouse.

In 1765, the building was transformed for a few months into a show room for the actors of a theatre group managed by the actress Gertraud Bodenburger. With the occasion of some building repairs performed in 1787, on the Southern façade the blazon of Sibiu was applied with the crossed swards and the lily pads, according to the model of the time. During 1962 and 1967, the building was rehabilitated and was since then given to the cultural circuit.

To the end of the 20th century, the building came into possession of Brukenthal Museum, the ground-floor serving as area for contemporary art storages and the grand hall was used as exposition area open to all kinds of artistic and cultural appearances. This is the time when it receives the title of “House of Arts”.

Since the summer of 2007, the House of Arts changes its purpose, is administered by “Astra” Museum National Complex and becomes the registered office of “Emil Sigerus” Ethnography and Saxon Popular Art Museum.