Young concept in very old walls
For our last blog article this year for the Lübeck ZWISCHENZEILEN I have chosen a fairly new café in Lübeck’s Old Town. There are few places that fascinate me as much as a good café. Time usually seems to pause for a moment here. I like the sound of cups being placed on saucers, the quiet murmur of conversations at the other tables. The playlists that delight my ears with music I haven’t heard for a long time. I like the stage that cafés provide for everyday life. The café in question today is Cafébar Heimlicht. It has been located on the ground floor of Finder’s Haus at Untertrave 96 for a few months now. Cafébar Heimlicht. I think it’s a great name. Secretly? Home? Light? I need to find out more about that. But before we enter the café, let’s take a closer look at Finder’s House.
Stories in stone and colour
With its projecting upper storeys and massive granite pillars, Finder’s Haus – a four-storey half-timbered house dating from 1569 – tells the story of Lübeck’s heyday. It once served as a tenement house for merchants and travelers in a prime location in the immediate vicinity of the harbour. It is an eaves-standing building. If the term doesn’t ring a bell, the eaves – the lower edge of the roof where rainwater runs off – of this type of house face the street. This means that the longer side of the house runs parallel to the street. People lived and worked in this type of building. Occupational groups with modest space requirements were usually represented here.
The interior of Finder’s is a real gem: coffered ceilings, intricate woodwork and artistic murals bear witness to the splendor of past centuries. The ceiling paintings on the second floor are particularly fascinating, combining a Moorish style from 1606 with landscape depictions from 1670. Ochre tones, reddish veins and black Mauresques tell of the cultural diversity of the Renaissance. Mauresques are “a surface ornament of Islamic origin that has been widespread in Europe via Italy, France and the Netherlands since the end of the 15th
century.” (You can read more about the subject here in an article (in German) by cultural scientist Dr. Manfred Eckhölter on wall painting in Lübeck).
Finder’s Haus is definitely a window into the past – but one that rarely opens completely. This historical gem is only accessible on special occasions, such as “Open Monument Day”. A bit of a downer, I know! But it’s worth waiting for such an occasion, as the tours are usually led by the owner of the house, Dr. Jutta Hastenrath, herself. Together with her husband, she is actively involved in the Hansevolk zu Lübeckan association dedicated to bringing Hanseatic traditions to life. Incidentally, the couple are known to the Hansevolk as Mayor Arnulf von Stiten and his wife Gertrud.
Urban aesthetics meets brick
So while the Finder’s Haus is only open to you in its entirety on a few days a year, the Heimlicht café bar offers constant access to the special atmosphere of the house. Heimlicht owner Lars Borowski tells me that he deliberately opted for a restrained design concept. He wanted the interior to reflect the historical charm of the building. The central wall in the café stands out with its deliberately untreated brickwork, whose rough texture forms a charming contrast to the modern furniture. The warm, neutral colors are extremely inviting. Lars built the large counter himself with a few helping hands within a week. Lars is a creative person who enjoys designing and organizing. Developing ideas, assessing feasibility and dealing with numbers. That’s exactly what’s in his blood. The idea of opening a pub or bar had been in his head for some time. When the opportunity arose at the beginning of this year to launch his own restaurant concept, Lars didn’t hesitate for long. However, he is keen to point out that Heimlicht would have been a dream without the support of his parents and sister, as the business administration graduate works full-time as an event manager at Kulturwerft Gollan.
Enjoy regionally
The philosophy of Café Heimlicht is reflected in its regional focus. Lars wants to show what Lübeck and the region can do in culinary terms. Here, the north is not just a backdrop, but an attitude: Coffee from the Cycle RoastersAlthäuser sparkling wine from Weinhaus von Melle, gin from the Burningbricks Distillery and Lübecker Zwickel from Sudden Death Brewing characterize the range of drinks on offer. Heimlicht sources the bread for the freshly prepared sandwiches on site from the Schüler bakery. My tip for you is the richly filled Alsatian sandwich. Really hearty with diced ham and fried onions. Delicious! There is also a vegan option: the hummus sandwich.
If it wasn’t December, I would have sat on the terrace in the courtyard with my cappuccino. It’s a wonderful place to sit on comfortable wooden furniture in complete seclusion in a sea of brick.
However, given the temperature outside today, I prefer to take a seat at one of the tables by the window. My gaze wanders out to the Trave and the question of where the name Heimlicht comes from comes to mind again. Spontaneously, I think of the tradition of the lantern or torch bearers, who in earlier centuries guided people who could afford this paid service safely through the dark alleyways. Lars says that he asked at the first on-site appointment whether he could install a lantern on the outside. That was not possible. However, he was able to use the illuminated flagpole. So he opted for a lantern as a logo on the flag. A lantern that would point the way to a place yet to be discovered – the new café bar. A cozy place that offers space to pause, provides a sense of security and wants to be open to everyone. More important than ever in these times.
