Register of Good Safeguarding Practices
Safeguarding the Building Craft Practice of the Jurahäuser in the Altmühljura Region
The Jura house is a typical regional house shape in the Altmühljura. It features a cubic shape, small windows and stone roofs made of limestone slabs.
Regional quarries produces quarry stones for the walls and limestone slabs for the roofing, the wall and floor coverings. The rough landscape created a building tradition that is based on functionality and on the exclusive use of local construction material: Stone for the walls and roofs, timer for the framework, floor and truss, clay for the wall filling and ceiling and lime for mortar and wall paint.
Even today, the material for the masonry and the lime slabs is extracted exclusively by hand in the quarries of the Altmühl region. A machine production is not possible, as otherwise the lime slabs would break. Only local building materials are used for construction purposes: stone for walls and roofs, wood for frameworks, floors and roof trusses, clay for partitions and ceilings and lime for mortar and wall paint. A special feature are the roof panels, as they are not attached to the roof. The stone slabs hold only because of their weight, which is around 250 kilograms per square metre.
The Jurahausverein and the craftsmen's workshops teach the building techniques and keep the building practice of the Jura houses alive. As the special roofing skills using thin lime boards are not part of the official roofing training, the stakeholder businesses pass on the knowledge and skills internally. Homeowners can get advice on professional renovations from the Jurahausverein, which also documents the existing Jura houses.
Active public relations work is carried out to promote the appreciation of building techniques. In addition to publications and exhibitions, workshops and guided tours are offered for school classes and adults. One highlight is the Jura house open day, which is aimed at the general public.
