In the Third Reich, they were prone to gigantomania - the desire to create projects that amaze the imagination in their scale. Moreover, most of us often associate this trend with the military-industrial complex or something that was supposed to maintain the exclusive status of the then existing in Germany ideology. However, few people know that the Fuhrer somehow decided to implement his adherence to gigantism even in the spa sector. This is how... the longest house appeared in one of the German tourist spots.
The history of this entertaining project begins on the German island of Rügen, or rather, in the area under the name "Narrow Wasteland", which is an isthmus between the Baltic Sea and the Small Yasmund the bay. For many years it has been a popular resort for the Germans and a tourist destination on the map of Germany. Visitors are attracted by the nature of this place: the sea coast, the gently sloping sandy beach and the coniferous forest nearby.
It was in this place that the government of the Third Reich decided to build a sanatorium of considerable size for German workers, which would later be called Prora. The future resort was supposed to be under the patronage of the Kraft durch Freude movement, which means "Strength through joy" in German. This organization was engaged in leisure organizations according to the standards of National Socialist ideology.
The construction of the facility itself began in 1936. It was planned to build eight blocks of the residential complex, each 450 meters long, and place them along the coast. In total, a huge sanatorium would stretch over a distance of four and a half kilometers. Each residential block was supposed to build its own infrastructure of the service sector next to it - canteens and analogues of modern entertainment centers. The resort was also planned to be heavily loaded: according to Novate.ru, Prora was built to accommodate up to 20 thousand people with a check-in rate of about 3 thousand vacationers per day.
The construction of this facility in itself was large-scale, but the global character of the project is also given by the fact that, in addition to the hotel buildings, named "Prorskiy colossus", it was decided to build its own infrastructure especially for the resort: a separate railway line that passes through a new dam. In addition, the central building was supposed to have a huge meeting hall with a capacity of 20 thousand people.
Interesting fact: the project of the German resort on the island of Rügen was also appreciated at the international level - it was presented at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1937, where it was awarded the first prize.
There was also one interesting detail in the architectural plan of the complex, even in the literal sense. The thing is that the buildings, although they went as if in a line, however, the coast itself rounded a little around the sea. And the authors of the object decided to build the sanatoriums in such a way that they visually resemble an element of a huge gear, the rest of which seemed to go under water. The conventional center of this "detail" would be located 13 kilometers from the residential complex itself.
The dream resort opened to the first holidaymakers in 1940, and this despite the fact that the construction of some of the buildings was still in progress. Accordingly, this testifies that the outbreak of the Second World War by Hitler Germany 1 September 1939, not the German workers themselves did not create any obstacles to travel to the "Narrow Wasteland" on rest. And only from the moment of the invasion of the territory of the Soviet Union and the opening of the Eastern Front, the resort on the Baltic coast was closed.
During the war years, the hotel blocks were empty, and after the surrender of the Third Reich, the territory of Rügen was in the sphere of influence. USSR, and the resort was converted into barracks for Soviet soldiers, and a little later were transferred to quartering employees army of the GDR.
In fairness, it is worth noting that in a sense, the original task of these buildings was revived - in particular, a military sanatorium, as well as a school and even a pioneer camp, was opened there. However, the territory of the former Prora sanatorium was closed to the public, and only military personnel with their families were allowed there.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the unification of Germany, the government decided not to leave such bulky and costly in terms of maintenance, an object on the balance sheet of the state and transfer it into the hands of private owners. The latter have come to grips with the development of that part of the residential complex, which was in the most suitable condition - in particular, they sold apartments there and opened hotels.
True, Prora received the status of a resort only in 2016, but this did not stop anyone. In 2017, the "Narrow Wasteland" was opened for mass tourists, and this is despite the fact that some of the blocks are still in an abandoned state or are being rebuilt.
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Today you can visit either apartments or hotels from 3 to 5 stars. The former resort of the Third Reich is still actively developing and rebuilding today, but even now vacationers are happy to go to enjoy the beauty of nature, not paying attention to the empty buildings nearby.
In addition to the topic: 30 incredible masterpieces of modern German architecture you need to know about
Source: https://novate.ru/blogs/020121/57316/
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