The first house on the main street of the German colony in Haifa • Keller family house

The first house on HaCarmel Street, the main street of the German colony (today's 1 Ben Gurion Boulevard), is the home of the Keller family, after whom the street in the center of Carmel is named.

Keller family home

The construction of the house was completed in 1893, as it was written in the engraved address on the front of the building, following the designation of the place "Haupt oder Carmel Strasse" (Haupt oder Carmel Strasse). We have no information about the architect or the designer of the building, but it is reasonable to assume that Jacob Schumacher - the stonemason and architect of the colony - was involved in its planning. The building is 2 stories above a basement floor and the entrance to it faces Carmel Strasse, the main street of the settlement.

The finish of the house is stone with a "tobaza" (rough) processing and the entrance to it is via a stone staircase, perpendicular to the front, that rises from the street level to the entrance floor. The rectangular openings are decorated with smooth (sawn) stone frames and above the entrance door is an arch, also made of stone. The roof of the building is polygonal covered with red tiles. Beneath the tiled roof is a useful attic. The house was the main residence of the Keller family.

Friedrich (Fritz) Keller (1838-1913)

Despite his importance in the establishment of the German colony on the Carmel, which was called "Carmelheim", there is no accurate and accepted information about the life of Friedrich Keller (F. Keller) in Germany. Also search with artificial intelligence Did not yield biographical information about his life and family life. However, it is known that Fritz Keller arrived in Israel in 1870. He was a butcher by trade and was employed by Jacob Schumacher, the "architect of the colony" who served as the US consul in Haifa. As part of this work, Keller acquired diplomatic skills and was later appointed the deputy consul of Prussia in Haifa (1877) and the representative of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in Israel. 

Keller's contribution

Keller's contribution was in three areas:

• the purchase of the land: Keller was the driving force behind the purchase of the land from the Carmelite monks, which was used to build the colony on Carmel. He negotiated tenaciously and finally succeeded in obtaining the coveted territory.
• Construction of the first house in Carmel: Keller built the first house in Carmelheim. This house, known as the "Consul's Summer House", was used by him and his family, and today it is used by the "Gottlieb Schumacher Institute". At the Gottlieb Schumacher Institute, studies, conferences and exhibitions dealing with the Templar period are conducted.
• The vision of the settlement in Carmel: Keller believed in the healing power of Mount Carmel, and initiated the construction of houses there, including a guest house and hotels. He saw in Carmelheim not only an agricultural colony, but also a tourist and health center.

The current Keller family home

The building is on the list of buildings for preservation by the Municipality of Haifa and has undergone a preservation and restoration process in recent years. Until about 10 years ago, it was home to the offices of a private law firm in Haifa. But since then it has been renovated and today most of it is used for catering and lodging (hostel) and is used for several offices.  

In conclusion, Beit Keller at 1 Ben Gurion Boulevard is another important piece in the historical puzzle of Haifa. Although we know less about him than about his house at 2 Keller Street (Gottlieb Schumacher Institute) it is an important testimony to the life of one of the pioneers of German settlement in the Land of Israel.

Thanks

My thanks are hereby given thanks to Ms. A blunt statement, from the Association for the History of Haifa, an expert on Haifa architecture and its architects, for her help in obtaining the information necessary to edit the article.

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