History of the goods yard

The construction of the Güterhof in 1787 was a milestone for Schaffhausen. For the first time, the old town wall, which was no longer needed, was demolished, the moat filled in and the Güterhof was built over. The floor plan was laid out in the spirit of the time in a trapezoidal shape with a small inner courtyard. In contrast to the surrounding buildings, a flat saddle roof was built instead of a post-Gothic pitched roof. The large number and arrangement of the windows in regular axes is indicative of the late Baroque period.
Originally, the south side of the goods yard was located directly on the Rhine. Barges could be loaded and unloaded directly on the first floor. The Schifflände in its current form was only built in the 1960s when the power station and Rhine bridge were constructed.

In 1842, the people of Schaffhausen wanted to give their town more air. The landing site on the Rhine was redesigned. An open space was created between Güterhof and the older Schweizerhof, also an old warehouse building. The new square was appropriately named Freier Platz.
Güterhof was converted into a department store after 1848. The attached canopy allowed goods to be reloaded in a protected area. In 1849, a small ridge turret with clockwork was added by the Mäder company from Andelfingen. The bell came from the demolished Inner Rhine Gate.
In 1857, the first railroad line reached Schaffhausen with the Rhine Falls Railway. The transportation of goods on the Rhine and thus also the goods yard quickly lost importance.

The next major renovation took place in 1936, when the then cantonal master builder Emil Gürtler had the lime ashlars and half-timbering exposed in the local style. As many window panes were missing, the shutters were closed. This led to a dreary impression until the total renovation in 2007/08.

When the city transferred the building rights to Kornhausliegenschaft AG in 2006, the tide turned. Within two years, the Güterhof had been carefully converted and put to new uses. In 2008, prager.gastronomie ag with Verena and Linda Prager opened a 1,000 m2 restaurant on the first floor. International companies moved into their offices on the upper floors. Under the management of prager.gastronomie ag, Güterhof has become a trendy location in Schaffhausen with a great deal of passion and commitment.

In January 2018, SV Switzerland took over the management of the well-known restaurant and introduced numerous innovations.

A 2-month renovation took place at the beginning of 2019. The Güterhof was completely rebuilt without losing any of its old charm. A spacious room layout, modern flooring and new furniture have given the restaurant a new lease of life. The unique interior concept was created by Nader Interior GmbH from Zurich.
Güterhof will continue to operate in the tried-and-tested tradition and with the familiar hospitality. The historic gem on the Rhine will continue to be a popular meeting place for everyone in the future.