This urbex gemstone is located only a few block away from my flat.
The baths had a long history, beginning with the first plannings in 1907. The architectural drawings were made during first World War. The construction works began 1919 and stopped 1920 due to lack of funds.
It was 1925 when the building was continued and finally in February 1928 the baths were complete.
At that time, the complex was one of the most modern in Europe.
There were two pools (One 25m pool for men, one 20m pool for women!), a sauna, massage cabins, a gym, separate bath tub and shower cabins, and a sun terrace with loungers to rent. The building even had an elevator.
During the socialist era in eastern Germany from 1946 to 1989 the people didn't care much about building maintenance, so with the fall of the Iron Curtain the baths were closed due to irreparable structural damage. Plus, the east German authorities had build a lot of modern public swimming baths all over the city, so the people didn't want to go swimming in that dark old rotten building anymore.
The baths is a listed building, but it seems there is no hope for it. It is located in one of the poorest quarters of the city, there are no parkings and you can't even make techno club or something out of it because it is located in the middle of a high-density residential area.
Non the less, the baths are protected like Fort Knox. Every window or door is nailed or bricked up, even the basement windows are closed with metal plates. There is absolutely no chance to get in, unless you pay $$$ for a legal visit with two security gorillas following you on every step - or you have luck and finding the only open door. From time to time the building is used as a movie location ("We are the Night"), just be bold enough and pretend you are from the movie crew.
Let's start.
The women's pool:
The men's pool:
(We found the old pool lanes in the very last corner of the hall and couldn't resist to use them... nor could I resist to make a self portrait)
Lockers:
The Springboard:
Massage?
The group showers next to the pool:
And the Bathtub section. The 2nd and 3rd floor only consists of tub and shower cabins.
A bathtub or shower ticket included a free piece of soap (Seife).
You find old pool toys...
Ticket vending machines...
Tickets...
The janitor's stuff...
Technique...
The baths had a long history, beginning with the first plannings in 1907. The architectural drawings were made during first World War. The construction works began 1919 and stopped 1920 due to lack of funds.
It was 1925 when the building was continued and finally in February 1928 the baths were complete.
At that time, the complex was one of the most modern in Europe.
There were two pools (One 25m pool for men, one 20m pool for women!), a sauna, massage cabins, a gym, separate bath tub and shower cabins, and a sun terrace with loungers to rent. The building even had an elevator.
During the socialist era in eastern Germany from 1946 to 1989 the people didn't care much about building maintenance, so with the fall of the Iron Curtain the baths were closed due to irreparable structural damage. Plus, the east German authorities had build a lot of modern public swimming baths all over the city, so the people didn't want to go swimming in that dark old rotten building anymore.
The baths is a listed building, but it seems there is no hope for it. It is located in one of the poorest quarters of the city, there are no parkings and you can't even make techno club or something out of it because it is located in the middle of a high-density residential area.
Non the less, the baths are protected like Fort Knox. Every window or door is nailed or bricked up, even the basement windows are closed with metal plates. There is absolutely no chance to get in, unless you pay $$$ for a legal visit with two security gorillas following you on every step - or you have luck and finding the only open door. From time to time the building is used as a movie location ("We are the Night"), just be bold enough and pretend you are from the movie crew.
Let's start.
The women's pool:
The men's pool:
(We found the old pool lanes in the very last corner of the hall and couldn't resist to use them... nor could I resist to make a self portrait)
Lockers:
The Springboard:
Massage?
The group showers next to the pool:
And the Bathtub section. The 2nd and 3rd floor only consists of tub and shower cabins.
A bathtub or shower ticket included a free piece of soap (Seife).
You find old pool toys...
Ticket vending machines...
Tickets...
The janitor's stuff...
Technique...
