My house is my castle. O semiologii dziewiętnastowiecznych pałaców czynszowych Wrocławia.

The subject of this analysis are three tenement houses in Wroclaw, aiming to be a „zins-Palast”. Each of them received the name of its principal. The first one was a house belonging to the Jewish family firm „Moritz Sachs”, built during the years 1871-73 and situated at a plot on the corner of Teatralny Square and Świdnicka Street. The second one was a commercial establishment founded by baron Josef Huppmann-Valbella during the years 1873-75 at Kołłątaja Street 30/32. The third was at first glance a more modest tenement house, but erected at the foot of the flank of Liebich ́s Hill by the town council member Gustav Friderici in the years 1875-77. Our analysis is based on the method suggested by Umberto Eco in „La struttura assente”. The model of the Florentine palazzo was taken as a reference point, together with its whole context of meanings assigned to this type of achievements (the family habitat, the place for political discussions and meetings with clients, the owner ́s testimony stato and gloria, the owner ́s statue of power and triumph). Analysing this assumption special attention has been paid to these elements of the Renaissance origin, which decided their palatial image. Consequently our observations were directed towards the lay-out, the spacial outline, the interior decorations and furnishings. Because the Renaissance palazzo ́s reveal in the context of ‘openness’, we did try to present them above all in the principal ́s complexion. As a result, it seems, that only the house of the „Moritz Sachs” firm deserves the name palatial residence.