Smack bang in the middle of a very 'well to do' town in what would have been East Germany sits an imposing collection of buildings.
Surrounded by newly built and very expensive houses access is brazen to say the least. Due to time constraints our visit was short - but sweet.
A little history
In 1881 two hotels were built on the site, the Hotel Belvedere and the Hotel Kagemann to meet the growing need for accommodation in the seaside resort of Zinnowitz. In 1927 the two hotels were purchased by the Deutsche Reichsbahn (The Railway of Germany) and was turned into a "railroader orphans nursery" for orphans of railwaymen.
In 1958 the complex was taken over by the SED (East German Government) and it was decided that it would be used by the National Health Service as a children’s sanatorium the work starte in 1964 and was completed in 1968. The new sanatorium was called Erich Steinfurth after a Communist German politician who was murdered by the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi) in 1934.
The sanatorium treated children especially those with breathing disorders and skin conditions, with treatments that were then considered to be the highest level treatment and all at the cost of the state. Treatments included brine chambers, artificial sun, spas and modern inhalers. Children stayed in separate sex dorms with up to 8 in a room, every age group had its own lounge and classrooms. Groups would come together in the gym and dining hall.
There are a few more on the web site if you're interested.
Thanks for looking.
Surrounded by newly built and very expensive houses access is brazen to say the least. Due to time constraints our visit was short - but sweet.
A little history
In 1881 two hotels were built on the site, the Hotel Belvedere and the Hotel Kagemann to meet the growing need for accommodation in the seaside resort of Zinnowitz. In 1927 the two hotels were purchased by the Deutsche Reichsbahn (The Railway of Germany) and was turned into a "railroader orphans nursery" for orphans of railwaymen.
In 1958 the complex was taken over by the SED (East German Government) and it was decided that it would be used by the National Health Service as a children’s sanatorium the work starte in 1964 and was completed in 1968. The new sanatorium was called Erich Steinfurth after a Communist German politician who was murdered by the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi) in 1934.
The sanatorium treated children especially those with breathing disorders and skin conditions, with treatments that were then considered to be the highest level treatment and all at the cost of the state. Treatments included brine chambers, artificial sun, spas and modern inhalers. Children stayed in separate sex dorms with up to 8 in a room, every age group had its own lounge and classrooms. Groups would come together in the gym and dining hall.
There are a few more on the web site if you're interested.
Thanks for looking.
