If walls could talk: Former FDGB Holiday Resort in Gernrode
- en roUTE
- Mar 14
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 15
Hidden Beauty & Memories
Imagine you are standing in front of a once vibrant place whose walls whisper the stories of the past. The former FDGB holiday resort Fritz Heckert Gernrode is just such a place in the middle of the Harz Forest. Like an enchanted relic of the past, overgrown corners and peeling plaster exude a fascinating and melancholy charm.
Daylight falls through windows and doors, playing with colour and contours. As interesting as the contrast may seem, the sight leaves us pensive. A piece of architectural and human identity fades away.
A stroll through the corridors, rooms and halls gives an idea of the life, hustle and bustle, dancing and joy at this once popular holiday resort. Thoughts swirl around like fleeting ghosts. And the comparison between then and now keeps the memories alive.
Today, the dilapidated walls bear witness to the former splendour and the longing for a new purpose. Looking to the future, I hope that this magical place will one day be revitalised to give future generations a piece of history and a home.
The History
The history of this place is as rich as the forests of the Harz itself - a holiday complex created for relaxation and community in better days, but forgotten after the fall of the Wall in 1989.
From the 1950s until 1990, the resort characterised tourism in the Harz Mountains. The then FDGB (Free German Trade Union Federation) arranged subsidised holiday trips for workers. My grandmother also came here for a cure and relaxation.
Architecturally inspired by the buildings of the 1936 Olympic Village in Berlin, the holiday home is marked by vacancy and decay. It peeps out eerily between towering trees and bushes.
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