Häkergasse

The lane is mentioned in 1353 and 1357 as "platea campensium." In 1382 it is called "platea campensium sive piscatorum" (street of the vendors or fishermen), and likewise in 1415 with the somewhat later addition "communiter Hoekergasse" (commonly Hoekergasse). In 1416 it appears as "Grosse Fischergasse" (Large Fishermen's Lane) -- to distinguish it from the then "Kleine Fischergasse" (Small Fishermen's Lane), today's Tobiasgasse -- and as late as 1633 it was still known as "Fischer- oder Hoekergasse."

"Campensis" in medieval Latin actually means "innkeeper," but here it is used as a translation of "Hoeker" (small-scale food vendor), since the Hoekerei -- the retail sale of food -- was usually combined with the right to serve alcohol. The name thus derives from the Hoeker (petty traders and food sellers) based here. Considering that a bathhouse was still operating here as late as 1466, one can assume this was quite a lively entertainment street.

The section between the Dam and the Dominican Monastery is listed in 1357 under the separate designation "versus monachos" (toward the monks). Later it was always counted as part of Haekergasse. When, from the mid-17th century onward, the name "Strohgasse" (Straw Lane) -- previously used for the second Priestergasse -- was displaced by the name "Kleine Lawendelgasse," the old name "Strohgasse" was occasionally transferred to this part of Haekergasse as well, but the name Haekergasse prevailed.

Between house numbers 23 and 24, the Johanniskirchsteig (St. John's Church Path) was located for a time.

Toward the Motlawa river, the street -- like the Fish Market -- was open before 1448, since the wall between the Crane Gate and the Teutonic Order's castle was only built in that year. The gate building of the Haekertor (Vendors' Gate) that closed off the lane was probably not built until 1482. For that year, Caspar Weinreich reports in his chronicle: "The previous year they began to build the Fischertor, and the year after it was finished." Koehler incorrectly attributed this passage to the Fischertor on Maelzergasse, which at that time was not called Fischertor at all, but rather "Poggenpfuhlsches Tor." The ground-rent registers, which until 1481 always mention only one gate at the Fish Market but from 1482 onward also list "dat nye doer uppem fischmarkte" (the new gate on the Fish Market), confirm that one of the gates at the Fish Market is meant -- most likely the Haekertor, whose coats of arms on the exterior and interior already date from the Polish period.

Today this lane is known as Marktbudengasse (Market Stall Lane).