"Hops and malt God may bless!" This is the translation of an old German rhyme: “Hopfen und Malz, Gott erhalt´s!” This traditional saying, known as every brewer´s prayer, has an even deeper meaning in Hornburg than anywhere else. In ancient times, many houses in Hornburg had a documented right to brew beer. So it seems to be obvious that the town brewed not only for its own needs, but also for the surrounding area. But the real export hit, was not the finished beer, but the local hops. The sensitive plant loves calcareous soils with a high groundwater level, exactly the conditions that prevail around Hornburg. Hops have therefore been cultivated in Hornburg for many generations and since 1540 have formed the basis of prosperity, which can still be seen today on many of the town's houses and facades.
Before the hops could be processed further or transported away, their freshly harvested cones first had to be dried. To do this, they were spread out over a large area, which took up a lot of space. Therefore it was necessary for the town to build storehouses solely for drying and storing the precious harvest. The great hop storehouse, in German: “Großer Hopfenspeicher”, is one of the last remaining inner-city storehouses in northern Germany. This “Hopfenspeicher” has a long and interesting history. The ground floor was probably originally built as a granary for the castle. It dates back to 1638, as can still be seen from the lintel. But just 7 years later, the castle of Hornburg experienced its final blow when the Swedes came to storm the fortress. In total, the town lost around 200 buildings during the Thirty Years' War. One of these was the predecessor building of the “Hopfenspeicher”.
In 1672, the local forest clerk Leopold Schomburg and his wife rebuilt the “Hopfenspeicher”. Since then, the storehouse has served faithfully for many years. But after the burden of more than 400 years, the condition of the building had finally become precarious. Fortunately, the town acquired the building and was very committed to exploring the possibilities of preserving it. From 2019, the German Centre for Half-Timbered Houses in Quedlinburg, with the help of students from the Universities in Braunschweig and Holzminden, carried out a refurbishment that can be considered a real masterpiece and caused a sensation in international monument conservation circles. Where possible, the original substance was reused. Where necessary, new parts were manufactured using old techniques and carefully inserted.
In July 2023, the “Hopfenspeicher”, now shining in its new splendour, was opened. In the future, past and present will meet here through various cultural projects and exhibitions.