Vierordtbad
The Vierordtbad is the oldest bathing establishment in Karlsruhe . The historic cultural monument of particular importance in the neo-renaissance style is located in a central location on the fairground next to the congress center .
history
The Foundation
The original form of the bath was donated by the banker Heinrich Vierordt (1797–1867) and built between 1871 and 1873. An inscription on the portal commemorates the founder, from whose assets of the construction costs of 303,000 marks 124,000 marks were paid, and of the sponsorship by Grand Duke Friedrich. The building was designed by senior construction director Josef Durm .
Of course, when Vierordt donated 60,000 guilders to the city for charitable purposes, he was not thinking about setting up a bath, but rather promoting the construction of a market hall . However, the Karlsruhe market women protested so vehemently that the plan was abandoned and the legacy was used to build the bathing establishment.
First construction phase and first improvements
In the first phase, according to Durm's plans, a section in which tubs and steam baths were offered and the spa department were built. A rotunda formed the center . This was decorated with eight cast zinc figures in niches between the windows, two of which are exactly the same. The figures seem to have ancient models. Another figure stood in a green area in front of the rotunda. It is no longer there today. The busts of Grand Duke Friedrich I and his wife Luise, which once stood in the pillared hall, are also missing today. The gable above the entrance was decorated with a painting by Rudolf Gleichauf , which Hygieia was accompanied by. Wilhelm Klose created four landscape paintings for the interior of the rotunda , which could be seen above the doors.
The bath was opened on April 3, 1873. First and second class baths were available to the public, and later also third class. Carbonic acid and sulfur baths were also offered. The hot water reservoir held 29 cubic meters of water; The bath water was heated alternately with two different boilers. Bathtubs have been available in the Vierordtbad for over 100 years. From 1985 on, bathtubs were only offered in the neighboring Tullabad , but due to lack of demand, they were abandoned after a few years.
Changes and improvements were made as early as 1874. It quickly became apparent that the heating system had to be revised. From 1887 the bath was lit with gas. The fresco above the portal by Rudolf Gleichauf showed such serious damage after only two decades that the painter Wilhelm Klose financed a transfer of the picture onto hexagonal tiles using hypocaustics . This work was carried out by Professor Robert Ulke . Klose not only financed this conservation measure, but also a fountain in front of the bath that Johannes Hirt created between 1905 and 1909. This Hygieia fountain is provided with the inscriptions Give the strong courage / the sick fresh blood and Flow pure and bright / the source of health .
Nevertheless, demolition of the building was considered as early as 1897, after 25 years of operation, as both the structural condition and the technology left a lot to be desired. The mayor of the city, however, described such a break as barbarism, which could not be excused even with the achievement of financial advantages. Since Vierordt's foundation would have had to be replaced if the building had been demolished, the decision was made to continue operating and renovating the bathing establishment.
Second construction phase: the swimming pool
In 1900 the pool was expanded to include a swimming pool. City planning officer Wilhelm Strieder created a swimming pool with a size of 28.70 × 10.70 meters and a depth of up to 2.80 meters. In addition, cold and warm water pools were created in a new spa department and 40 changing and relaxation rooms were built. The laundry and boiler house were located next to the spa. The rebuilt bath was reopened on July 2, 1900. Plans to add a second swimming pool to the west wing, which should be reserved for women, were not implemented.
Refurbishments in 1938
The stucco work on the ceiling and in the cabins fell victim to the renovations in 1938. Instead of the wide old wooden cabins, narrower ones have now been installed. The wall surfaces and floors were lined with green majolica tiles and the bathroom technology was partially renovated.
In 1944/45 the bath was closed for eight months due to the war; thereafter operations were resumed.
Construction of the Tullabad in 1955 and extensions
After the plans to build a women's bath from 1900 had been finally rejected, the Tullabad was built in 1955 right next to the Vierordtbad. The two baths were connected by two cast pipes, which made it possible to treat the water from the swimming pool of the Vierordtbad in Tullabad. At that time, it had the most modern technology.
The Vierordtbad also received an extension for underwater massage in 1959. Today the whirlpool is located in this area of the bathroom .
New swimming pool in 1960 and redesign from the 1960s
In 1960, a new swimming pool typical of the time was added on the Ettlinger Strasse side. As structural defects were still to be complained about in the Vierordtbad and the number of changing rooms was not considered sufficient, it was decided to demolish the entire spa. Alternatively, it was considered to replace only the changing room, but in 1962 the demolition began and on May 15, 1964 the new building planned by Hans-Jürgen Lau was opened. It contained a changing area, hot and warm air rooms, steam rooms and a cold and a warm water basin. Carl Egler created the majolica mural over the basin .
In 1967 the pool tiles were renewed. Other changes followed. For example, saunas were built into the spa . In 1977 the showers and the cash desk area in the swimming pool were renewed, in 1984 massage jets and a flood shower were installed in the swimming pool.
The building for underwater massage from 1959 had to give way in 1981 to the so-called Böhlerbau, which included the whirlpool and the new relaxation room.
From 1996 the spa was gradually transformed into a health center. The western courtyard was equipped with sauna huts, the changing area was relocated and redesigned and a large central room was created. In August 2002 the pool was closed and the renovation of the swimming pool began, which was equipped with two pools and new technology. In 2004 the health spa was switched to district heating, which made it necessary to renew the ventilation system. The facility was reopened on January 29, 2005.
Former buildings
Around 1900 the boiler house supplied the Vierordtbad with heat and electricity. It was later used by the Stadtwerke as a central heating plant and renovated and expanded twice - in 1956 and 1961. In 1973 the hot water tank next to the boiler house was demolished and replaced by a new one that held 45,000 liters of water. This is also not preserved; today there is a 9,600 liter container in the basement of the bathing complex. From the boiler house and the warm water tank set up in the open air, nothing remained except the historical chimney in the minaret style; they were demolished in 1989 when the garden hall was built in their place.
deals
In addition to the bathhouse with two pools, the Vierordtbad also has a sauna area , a bistro , an attached practice for massage , medical baths and physiotherapy as well as a cosmetic salon .
Individual evidence
Web links
- Official website of the city of Karlsruhe for the Vierordtbad
- Vierordtbad in the Stadtwiki Karlsruhe
Coordinates: 49 ° 0 ′ 5.1 ″ N , 8 ° 24 ′ 9.8 ″ E