Today's Große Wollwebergasse (Great Wool Weavers' Lane) is first mentioned in 1347 in a mortgage entry as "platea lanificum" (street of the wool weavers). The name has remained unchanged ever since, derived from the wool weavers who resided here.

The distinction between the Große (Great) and Kleine (Small) Wollwebergasse dates only from 1805. The Kleine Wollwebergasse originally formed part of the Hintergasse (Back Lane), which ran along the inner side of the city wall. In 1633 that section was described as "behind the Wollwebergasse at the wall." The name Hintergasse still appeared occasionally on maps as late as 1859.

When part of this Hintergasse was renamed Kleine Wollwebergasse in 1805, the original Wollwebergasse received the prefix "Große" to distinguish the two.

History