It must have been an infernal sea of flames that struck Rehau on September 6, 1817. Almost the entire town was destroyed by a devastating fire. The third major town fire after 1512 and 1763 destroyed over 160 houses and outbuildings as well as 300 barns with the annual harvest in three hours. The church, the rectory, the town hall and the district court were also destroyed by the flames.
The reconstruction, which lasted from 1818 to 1824, was coordinated by Johann Wilhelm Baumann from Hof. He succeeded in developing a unique urban development concept. Rehau was to be rebuilt as an ideal town in keeping with the spirit of the times and in accordance with the most modern fire protection requirements. This included a checkerboard-like, symmetrical floor plan with wide, dead-straight axes and cross streets running at right angles to them. All new buildings were to be built entirely of stone and with integrated fire protection walls.