Developers in Germany are selling units in a huge housing development on the Baltic Sea that Adolf Hitler originally planned as a vacation getaway for Nazi workers.
On the island of Ruegen, construction on the "Colossus of Prora" began in 1936, but was halted in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. As part of the Nazis' "Kraft durch Freude" ("Strength Through Joy") organization, it was meant to house 20,000 workers. Cvs pharmacy
According to Bloomberg, the complex was twice as long as Paris' Avenue des Champs-Elysees and consisted of eight buildings with a total of 10,000 rooms.
According to Bloomberg, developers began offering new residences in the complex this spring, with prices starting at 700,000 euros ($900,000). Private saunas, terraces, oak floors, "glossy kitchens," and sea views are all included in the units.
Gerd Grochowiak, co-founder of Berlin developer IrisGerd, told Bloomberg, "It's a place that can't be recreated." He claims it is the largest undeveloped length of land along Germany's northern coast, with limited new construction. In the next two years, IrisGerd, which purchased one of the blocks in an auction last year, aims to convert a 1,250-room block into 250 apartments.
The project's Nazi past is both a blessing and a curse. The project was classified as a Bauhaus design because of its plain, repetitive construction, but it contained various facilities peculiar to the creators' tastes, such as seawater-fed swimming pools, a regal conference hall, and a parade square. At the 1937 Paris World Exposition, the project received a Grand Prix prize.
According to a website for Prora, "the seaside resort is not only interesting from an architectural standpoint (implementation of modern architecture in National Socialism); it was also an element of the National Socialists' labor and social policy, serving its aggressive military and racial policies."
Following the war, the project was utilized as a barracks for East German soldiers as well as a vacation residence for police officers. According to Bloomberg, a hostel, museum, art galleries, and an archive were erected when Germany was united.
Officials considered demolishing the structure for many years, but it now has historic status. A permanent exhibition focusing on the complex's building history and political context is now on display at the center.
According to Bloomberg, four of the eight blocks are being rebuilt. One block houses a youth hostel, while the other three are "in disrepair," according to Bloomberg.