Haus zur Sonne
The Haus zur Sonne in Rheinfelden's Marktgasse was first mentioned in documents at the time of Maria Theresa. But its history is much older. Fittingly, it now houses the Fricktal Museum.
Inn & Hostel.
The building and house appraisal drawn up in 1764 under Maria Theresa reports the «Haus zur Sonne» as a stone building with a vaulted cellar and an estimated value of 700 gulden. It was thus one of the most stately houses in Rheinfelden. A predecessor of the Haus zur Sonne probably already existed during the first expansion of the town around 1200.
From the first documented mention in 1422 until 1840, the Sonne was almost constantly an inn and hostel. The current façade design dates back to a comprehensive reconstruction in 1843.
The Habich-Dietschy family.
When Franz Joseph Dietschy bought the house in 1840, it became his home and remained so until 1929. In 1842 the house passed to Franz Joseph Dietschy's son Alois, who, like his father, ran the brewery and the inn «zum Salmen». He died in 1858 and the house was signed over to his five daughters, who continued to live in the «Sonne» with their mother.
One of the five girls, Marie, married the engineer Carl Habich in 1869, who had been working in the Salmenbräu since 1868. The young couple also lived in the «Sonne», which now became the Habich family home.
Further information
Good to know
After the death of Carl Habich-Dietschy in 1928, his heirs donated the Haus zur Sonne to the municipality of Rheinfelden with the stipulation that the Fricktal Museum be established there.
Complete information of the owners.
The first known «Sonnenwirt» was Michel Sybott, the last Matthias Kuni (1751-1838). His son Alois sold the «Sonne» in 1840 to Franz Joseph Dietschy. In between, 32 other names of men and women are mentioned who hosted or lived in the «Sonne».
Contact
City of Rheinfelden
Stadtbüro, Marktgasse 16
4310 Rheinfelden
+41 61 835 51 11
stadtbuero@rheinfelden.ch
