This street was called Johannisgasse (St. John's Lane) from the very beginning, after the St. John's Church located here. Before the construction of the city wall between the Crane Gate and the Fish Market in 1448, Johannisgasse was also open toward the Motlawa river. The gate leading to the water is first mentioned in ground-rent registers in 1454.

The section from Scheibenrittergasse along the Dominican Church to Junkergasse is described in 1357 as "ex opposito a latere monachorum" (opposite, on the side of the monks) and in 1382 as "circa monachos" (near the monks).

When in the 18th century the name "Kleine Lawendelgasse" (Small Lavender Lane) came into use for the second Priestergasse, the latter's old name "Strohgasse" (Straw Lane) was transferred to this section of Johannisgasse. It appears under that name on maps from 1763 onward. Whether this designation was actually used in everyday speech, or whether it was merely an erroneous transfer of entries in the hereditary register that were no longer understood, can no longer be determined. In any case, according to Wutstrak, the name had already fallen out of use again by 1805.

The name changes mentioned above concern only the section between Scheibenrittergasse and Junkergasse.

History