The Leisthaus (1585) and the adjacent Stiftsherrenhaus (1558) form the finest ensemble of Weser Renaissance domestic architecture in Hameln. The two buildings now house the Museum Hameln, which presents the history of the town and the development of the Weser Renaissance architectural style with good displays and excellent examples of the original carved stonework.
The Weser Renaissance is a specifically regional style — it only appeared in the towns along the Weser River in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, distinguished by its elaborate stone ornamentation, scrolled gables, and decorative friezes. Hameln has the most concentrated and best-preserved collection of these buildings anywhere, and the Leisthaus is the finest individual example. Osterstrasse 8–9.