The emperor's new clothes
March 2009 – The listed natural stone façade of the Gutenberg Museum has been successfully renovated. The "Zum Römischen Kaiser" building originated from the "Zum Marienberg" residential building, which was built in 1653/1654 for the Mainz merchant and electoral treasurer Edward Rokoch. The late Renaissance building with its elaborate facade was the richest town house in the city and served as a model for later aristocratic palaces. In the fall of 2005, Gebäudewirtschaft Mainz (GWM) began renovating the most damaged right side risalit.
Three steps to shine
The damage assessment carried out in advance had revealed that some of the sandstone elements on this section of the façade were so badly damaged that they had to be removed immediately. Each of the three construction phases took around one year. A total of around €460,000 was spent on the renovation work. The Monument Network supported the project with €35,000, and the German Foundation for Monument Protection provided €10,000 in complementary funding. Finally, the General Directorate for Cultural Heritage contributed €30,000. The renovation work amounted to a total of €460,000.