To this day, Mannus Riedesel (1662-1726) is revered in Wittgenstein as a master craftsman and builder of his era. Ten of his structures are still known to exist in Wittgenstein. There were once many more.
In April 2024, a memorial stone was dedicated to him at the centuries-old church in Raumland where he was baptized and buried. It was sponsored by the Wittgensteiner Heimatverein and the Presbytery of the Raumland parish. My colleague Joachim Völkel has shared the following pictures.
The ancient church with the monument to the lower left.
The monument itself.
Mannus Riedesel
June 6, 1662-November 4, 1726
The most important master builder in Wittgenstein.
He was known for the artistic decorations of his half-timbered (Fachwerk) structures. Mannus Riedesel lived in the Melbach (now a part of the village of Balde associated with the town of Erndtebrück), and was buried on November 5, 1726 in the Raumland churchyard.
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Typical are his representations of wine vines and unidentifiable fantasy fruits. They make his structures easily identifiable and serve as landmarks of the region.
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A few important structures:
The school-chapel in Sassenhausen
Stoltz’sches house in Bad Laasphe
Ludwigsburg in Bad Berleburg
Hof Dambach near Girkhausen
Fuchs’sches house in Wunderthausen
The balcony of the Raumland church
(his signature)
Here are some additional photos from my collection. Clicking on an image will open the full-size image that you may download.
