In 1832, Salomon Heine, Jewish banker, philanthropist, patron of the arts and uncle of the poet Heinrich Heine, had a small gardener's house built on his country estate in Ottensen, which served as his personal retreat. In 1816, Heinrich Heine - who at that time still used the first name Harry - visited his uncle's country estate for the first time. The poor condition of the building led to the founding of the Heine Haus Association in 1975, which was able to restore the house with the support of the Altona district office, the Altona party factions, the Office for the Protection of Historical Monuments and the Senator for Culture. Since 2001, the Garden House has been a branch of the Altona Museum (Stiftung Historische Museen Hamburg). However, the Heine Haus Association is solely responsible for its management, maintenance and program.