Description of the attraction
Beer Street, located right in the center of the historic quarters of Gdansk, is famous for its beautiful Baroque and Renaissance houses, richly decorated frescoes, commemorative inscriptions, stucco coats of arms and so on. One of these houses is called Schlüter's mansion. It is notable for the fact that it was able to survive during the Second World War, therefore, it is an original historical building, and not a copy of it. Illustrations of Schlüter's house are often shown as a scientific aid to students of architecture faculties, because this building is made in a whimsical style that combines the features of Mannerism and Baroque.
A multi-storey representative house in the center of the Gluvne Miasto district was erected in 1638-1640, according to the official version, for Hans van Enden, but in fact for Andreas Schlüter Sr., after whom it later received its name.
The grandiose structure is decorated with floral ornaments and stucco images of animals. For example, here you can see the figure of a lion standing on its hind legs, and with its front legs supporting a large stone ball. Researchers believe that this is an integral part of the coat of arms of Hans van Enden. The magnificent portal was made in the early Baroque style. It is adorned with Atlanteans, mummers and symbolic characters who probably represent various virtues. On a strip of frieze, you can see the decor in the form of sculptures of small heads in turbans and laurel wreaths. Visually, the facade of the building is divided into three levels. The most notable decorations of Schlüter's mansion are medallions, symmetrically placed on all levels. They depict rather recognizable portraits of Alexander the Great, Hercules, the Polish rulers Sigismund III and Vladislav IV. In addition to these historical and mythical personalities, the medallions are painted with portraits of sages, knights, representatives of various peoples.
The US Consulate is located near Schlüter's house.
