Single home for men (Berlin)

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Former single home at Waldenserstraße 31

The former single home for men is a listed building at Waldenserstraße 31 in the Berlin district of Moabit .

History and function of the building

In 1911 the association Ledigenheim e. V. the property in Waldenserstrasse. The aim was to alleviate the growing housing shortage for single men by building a home. Until now, they had to look for a place to sleep in the cramped workers' apartments .

The house was built in 1913 and 1914 according to plans by Otto Kohtz under the direction of Emil Schütze. The opening took place on June 28, 1914, to mark the 26th anniversary of Wilhelm II's reign . It was named Haus Wichern , a reminder of the founder of the Inner Mission , Johann Hinrich Wichern . The building consisted of a front building with two side wings and two transverse wings that enclosed two green inner courtyards. It offered space for 202 furnished rooms. The ground floor, which housed a dining room, was clad with dark, embossed natural stone. This is followed by a bright and smooth facade plastered over all five floors. The three vertical axes that curve out of the facade like columns from the second to the fourth floor are striking. This curvature is supported by the convex arrangement of the windows and parapets. They, in turn, are decorated with facade painting that is reminiscent of the Lüftlmalerei Upper Bavaria . Typical trades of the sleepers living there are shown for the time. There were bathtubs and showers under the roof; then a - quite unusual for the time - a swimming pool with a roof garden. The sculptures are by Georges Morin .

After the Second World War , orphans lived in the building and later it was used as a retirement home. In the years 1983 to 1985 an extensive renovation was carried out by the youth village of the Diakonisches Werk . Today there is a hostel there .

See also

Web links

Coordinates: 52 ° 31 ′ 42.1 ″  N , 13 ° 20 ′ 11.9 ″  E