Villa Falkenhorst
The Villa Falkenhorst is a two-storey villa in an approximately 10,000 m² park in Thuringia in Vorarlberg , which John Douglass, 14th Lord of Tilquhillie had built in 1837/1838.
Word meaning
Falkenhorst is made up of the name of the bird of prey " Falke " and the nest for birds of prey " Horst ". The falcon is a small bird of prey that is often found in Europe and also in Vorarlberg. The term "Horst" also refers to the exposure of the villa at the time of construction in the Flugelin plot, on the edge of the Ringelhalde.
style
The villa was built as a residential house and is in the style of an English country house and with influences from the Biedermeier era . It was supposed to represent the prestige, wealth and power of the Douglass family of manufacturers.
The villa was modernly equipped for the time. There was a washroom / bathroom, steam central heating and a sophisticated water collection system. The 10,000 m² park (based on English models) is another clear feature of a mansion.
history
The mansion was built in 1837 by John Douglass on the land acquired in 1836 on the edge of the Ringelhalde and was transferred to the property of Jane Douglass, a née Kennedy, on January 4, 1838. The villa was the birthplace of their son John Sholto Douglass, 15th Lord of Tilquhillie (1838) and his son Norman Douglas (1868).
In 1839 Archduke Johann visited the villa with the district chief Ebner, and shortly afterwards the Viceroy of Milan, Archduke Rainer .
In 1862/1864 John and Jane Douglass moved back to Scotland . John Sholto Douglass took over the mansion for his family to live in. His wife Vanda and the children left the villa in 1874/75 after the death of John Sholto Douglass. On June 20, 1891, Jane Douglass sold the mansion to her grandson John William Douglass for £ 1,500 .
Heinrich Wintsch junior acquired the villa in 1904 and sold it in 1909 to the Viennese textile manufacturer Rudolf Kastner.
The villa was rebuilt and the previous main entrance was moved from the south side to the north side of the house in 1947/49 (previous servants' entrance).
In 1966, ownership of the villa was inherited by the Gladys and Josef Dittrich family.
After Gladys Dittrich's death in 1995, the Thuringia municipality acquired the villa in 1997. The villa is placed under monument protection. A general renovation took place from 1998 to 2000. Since June 2000 the villa has been used as a public venue for events and exhibitions. The top floor has been redesigned as an open plan and multi-purpose room.
meaning
In the small village of Thuringia, the villa is a landmark and has a significant impact on the townscape. Due to the historical importance of the textile industry for Vorarlberg, the manorial houses of the textile manufacturers at the time of early and high capitalism have a special relevance for the development of the building history and architecture.
The Villa Falkenhorst was created at a time when other Vorarlberg industrialists z. B. in Dornbirn , Feldkirch and Kennelbach built similar manorial villas and thus underlined the economic and social power that these entrepreneurs had achieved in a short time. Due to its location on and on the edge of the Ringelhalde, the Villa Falkenhorst also served to distinguish itself from the local population and factory workers.
The hosts, Douglass, were liberal in their attitude, open to new ideas, and for decades, especially in the 19th century, the villa was a place of exchange for intellectuals and artists (see also Grete Gulbransson ).
Web links
- Villa Falkenhorst (website)
literature
- Andreas Rudigier (ed.): Villa Falkenhorst , Bludenzer Geschichtsblätter 66/67, Bludenz 2002, History Association Region Bludenz, ISBN 3-901833-16-1 .
- Vorarlberger Landesmuseum (Helmut Swozilek): Regional studies of Vorarlberg - with and through John Sholto Douglass (1838-1874) , Norman Douglas: Symposium, Thuringia, Vlbg., November 25, 2000, Bregenz 2001, Vorarlberger Landesmuseum, ISBN 3-901802-06 -1 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Building application submitted by Peter Kennedy on September 30, 1836. Approval by the kk Land and Criminal Court Sonnenberg on January 7th, 1837. The construction plans presumably come from Peter Kennedy himself.
Coordinates: 47 ° 12 ′ 5.8 " N , 9 ° 45 ′ 45.2" E