Grabenhäuser

Grabenhäuser stands in Ulm, Germany, beside the Seelengraben, once part of the medieval city fortifications. The historic houses date from 1610 to 1630. Their picturesque gardens accompany a residential architectural ensemble along the old city wall.

City soldiers originally lived here while watching the defensive moat and responding quickly when danger threatened. After the imperial city period ended, soldiers or their widows bought these homes. Each small dwelling typically contained a kitchen, living room, and bedroom. Residents lacked private bathrooms and shared communal sanitary facilities instead. As many as forty people from twelve houses used one bath.

Renovation and restoration during the 1980s preserved the houses beside Ulm’s old wall. By the late nineteenth century, residents carried the colloquial nickname “Grabenläuse,” or “moat lice.” The gardens and compact historic homes now form a distinctive architectural attraction within the city.