Hohenstein Lung Sanatorium

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The Hohenstein Lung Sanatorium (1908)

The Hohenstein Lung Sanatorium was put into operation on October 1, 1903 by the "Association for the Establishment of Lung Sanatorium in East Prussia". The approx. 5 hectare sanatorium was located in the approx. 450 hectare urban forest approx. 4 km north of the city of Hohenstein , East Prussia (today Olsztynek, Poland). About two thirds of the area was forested.

The sanatorium, reserved exclusively for male patients, initially had a capacity of 50 beds, which was increased to 84 in the first year of operation. The three-story main building had six single rooms and 17 multi-bed rooms, including one dormitory with ten beds. In most cases, the East Prussian State Insurance Company paid for the accommodation costs amounted to 3.50 marks per day, with single room accommodation the additional costs of one mark had to be borne by the patients themselves.

In 1912, the medical staff consisted of the chief physician (Dr. Walther Liévin, father of the actor Albert Lieven ), an assistant doctor and four nurses. A lifeguard, a coachman, a machinist and several servants also worked in the sanatorium. By April 1, 1912, a total of 2282 patients had been treated. The majority of the patients were farm and factory workers aged 16 to 30 from Koenigsberg . Complete healing was seldom achieved, and most of the patients were permanently disabled.

At the beginning of the First World War , all but five seriously ill patients were discharged. In April 1915 the sanatorium was reopened with 100 soldiers suffering from tuberculosis . Due to the war, there were shortages in the supply of food and heating material, so that the number of patients was reduced. Due to the poor supply situation, 69 patients left the sanatorium in November 1919. The patients complained about the inedible food and the unheated rooms, even liquid medicine was frozen. Furthermore, there is a barrack-like tone of the nursing staff and the chief doctor. Because of its bad reputation, only half of the beds were occupied in 1920.

On January 15, 1921, the Königsberger Hartungsche Zeitung reported that 35 patients had "escaped" because of the conditions there. On July 1, 1921, the chief physician Dr. Liévin therefore dismissed.

Due to the increased costs in the inflation of 1923 , operations had to be temporarily suspended in July 1923. After the inflation, the sanatorium for people with minor lung diseases was reopened, but the economic situation remained difficult. In 1933 the Hohenstein Lung Sanatorium was finally closed. Today there is a rehabilitation clinic for paediatrics.

Individual evidence

  1. a b c d e Andreas Jüttemann: The Prussian Lung Health Resorts 1863 - 1934, ISBN 978-3958531383 , pp. 234, 236 ff.
  2. Lungenheilststätten.de