gustaf nagel area

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Gate and staircase to the spa hall
gustaf nagel as an itinerant preacher, around 1902

The gustaf-nagel-areal ( original spelling : gustaf-nagel-areal ) is an area on the southern shore of the Arendsee in Saxony-Anhalt . The area belonging to the city of Arendsee was the long-standing workplace of the life reformer Gustav Nagel (1874–1952). Nagel worked here in the first half of the 20th century as a preacher , healer , musician and horticultural artist . Remnants of some of the structures he built are still there. He advocated a life close to nature, was a staunch vegetarian and advocated a simplified spelling of the ear. This is how he wrote his name gustaf nagel.

Preserved structures

The so-called Kurhalle, which was built around 1930 on the steep bank of the lake, has been completely preserved. The polygonal hall was built from brick . The edge pillars are expressionistic and made of concrete . An ascent leads to the spa hall through a small gate, which also dates back to Nagel's time.

Only small remains of the lake temple , which was built between 1917 and 1930 and located directly on the shore of the lake, have survived . This also included the so-called temple grotto . The memorial niche laid out in 1928 for Nagel's mother Luise is better preserved.

Architecturally, the ensemble is considered an interesting early example of small organic architecture .

history

In the summer of 1903, Nagel initially leased two acres of sand not far from the Pengel nursery in order to set up a Kneipp bath there. Surrounded by a wooden fence, a sun and shower bath, a lawn, a wooden barrack, several tents, a dovecote , a horizontal bar and several swings were created. There was a pool table in one of the tents . There were frequent disputes with the local population, which Nagel reported because of a lifestyle that was criticized as immoral. The facilities were destroyed several times.

In 1907 Nagel left the Arendsee and settled in Mardorf am Steinhuder Meer . In 1910, however, he returned to Arendsee and bought the area that was later named after him and which he himself called paradisgarten or garden eden . First of all, the artist built what is known as a seaman's grave . It was surrounded by a fence made of birch trunks and consisted of a cross, heart and anchor as symbols of faith, love and hope. On July 10, 1910, an inauguration ceremony took place on the lake property. Nagel built a harmonium house in which the harmonium was played. Another building close to the lake was the swan house . The sea ​​temple , completed around 1920, rested on seven phallic columns . The windows were glazed with different colored glasses. Visitors paying admission should be able to enjoy the lake view in different colors from here. The temple grotto was located under the temple . It was made of concrete, slag , shell limestone and boulders. On the right in the grotto there was a representation of Otto von Bismarck's head . Above it was the inscription fear got . On the left the eternal fire was depicted with red serrated metal strips surrounded by pieces of charcoal . Several angel heads were attached above, and below it was the inscription is German .

In 1929, Nagel began building his “Kurhalle”. After a construction freeze initially imposed by the authorities, residents turned to the administration and demanded immediate approval and the early completion of the hall. In the letter signed by 115 Arendsee citizens, the positive effects of Nagel's activities on the city and tourism were mentioned. In fact, the inauguration took place at Christmas 1930.

During the National Socialist era , the facility was closed by the authorities for the first time in 1935. Nagel was banned from speaking and was monitored by the Gestapo . In 1942, his buildings, the garden and the sculptures displayed there were repeatedly destroyed by Hitler Youth students. From July 1943 he himself was held as a " protective prisoner " in the Dachau concentration camp and in 1944 he was placed in the Uchtspringe mental hospital . He survived the National Socialist tyranny and stayed on the lake property again from May 1945. He restored his garden and again attracted attention for his political statements. In 1950 he was again admitted to the mental hospital, which he was no longer allowed to leave despite his best efforts. He died there in 1952.

Until 1990 the property was administered by the city of Arendsee. Gustav Nagel's heirs did not make use of their right of return after reunification . The area is currently being managed by gustaf nagel förderferein e. f. designed, who endeavors to maintain and repair the system.

Web links

Commons : Gustaf-Nagel-Areal (Arendsee)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Self-portrait of the operator of the plant, documented here with photographs .
  2. ^ Andreas Cante, Dehio, Handbuch der Deutschen Kunstdenkmäler, Saxony-Anhalt I, administrative region Magdeburg , Deutscher Kunstverlag Munich Berlin 2002, ISBN 3-422-03069-7 , p. 35.

Coordinates: 52 ° 53 ′ 3.7 ″  N , 11 ° 29 ′ 25.1 ″  E