The “Haus zu den sieben Türmen” was first mentioned in 1249 – its medieval predecessor was decorated with seven small towers. Lore has it that they were reminiscent of a state prison in Constantinople in which the man who built it (a companion of Henry the Lion) was once imprisoned. The Baroque house from 1708 which stands today bears a relief in its ga-bled dormer documenting that historic episode. The arched openings on the ground floor (the socalled “Messgewölbe”) served as a venue for Braunschweig’s exhibitions of wares in the 18th century.