Christian Ludewig Aspelmeier's House on Kapital Strasse

            Christian Ludewig Aspelmeier owned the Fachwerkhaus (half-timbered house) below.  The house sits on the Kapital Strasse at the southern edge of the city.  His house is located only 100 meters from Saint Andreas Church where he worshipped.  Prior to 1906 Lübbecke did not use street addresses to identify homes.  Up until then each house was assigned a number for taxation purposes.  Ludewig’s house was number 225 until 1906.  The current address is Kapital Strasse #2.  Today the house is a "Denkmalschutz," or protected historic landmark.  This status should ensure the survival of this small place where our German ancestors once lived.

            German cities, especially Lübbecke, frequently suffered serious fires.  The street behind Ludewig’s home is called the “Fuerrenne” or “fire run.”  Water was stored in a large reservoir behind Ludewig’s house.  Whenever a fire alarm was sounded citizens loaded buckets with water from the reservoir, filled wagons and then raced down the hill to extinguish the fire and save homes.  Perhaps its proximity to the water reservoir is one reason the house at #225 on Kapital Strasse has survived up until today.  German cites were usually surrounded by a city wall to provide protection during the frequent conflicts in the middle ages.  Ludewig’s old house is located within a few meters of the city’s old south gate.  During the 20th Century the gate, wall and the house next to the wall were demolished.  Today Ludewig’s old house is the first you see as you walk down Kapital Strasse.

Historic photo of Christian Ludewig Aspelmeier's house in Kapital Strasse, Lübbecke

view from the east towards the west

Historic photo of Christian Ludewig Aspelmeier's house in Kapital Strasse, Lübbecke

July 2000

Historic photo of Christian Ludewig Aspelmeier's house in Kapital Strasse, Lübbecke

All rights reserved: Chris Wyatt, Ludewig Aspelmeier's G-G-G-Great Grandson, © July 2000.