European Adventures - 5. Villa Hügel, Essen

Villa Hügel, Essen

It was another fabulous breakfast after a better night’s sleep.

Today’s journey takes us to the town of Essen, a major industrial town in the Ruhrgebiet; the heavy industrial section of Germany. 

Founder Alfred Krupp, 1812-1887

Our goal is Villa Hügel, an estate owned previously by the Krupp family. 

If ever you tour Germany, go there. It, for sure, gives you an insight into Germany before and after both World Wars. The family Krupp was in the heavy industry business and made almost all the weaponry for both World Wars. Krupp Steel was and still is the epitome of well made metals. Hitler’s weaponry for the German Army and Navy were built here.

Hitler wanted his youths to be:  
- Quick as a whippet?(windhund?) = dog

- Tough like leather and

- Hard as Krupp steel

Something my father wanted me to be, too.  Ha-Ha!  Peace!

Main Villa Under Renovations So No Admittance

We learned a lot at our visit to the Villa.

There is still a Krupp firm today. It is now a conglomerate of a few companies that still sell engineering to the world at large.

 

Unfortunately, we could only visit the ‘small’ house at the side of the Villa. The main house is under restoration and closed for a while.

Well, the ‘Small’ House is not so small with the 60 rooms it has, but that is what it is called. 

The Small (?) House

The Small House contains the historical exhibition of the Krupp Family and it was, for me, an interesting read. It really would be much better with English on the signs attached to each exhibit item or picture. Right now it’s just in German. The whole complex has 269 rooms spread over 87,000 square feet.

Dogwood

The Villa sits on top of a hill overlooking the Ruhr River in a park-like setting of 69 acres. There are many other, supporting houses on the grounds, but they seem puny when compared to the Villa. 

The grounds themselves are worth a visit, they make a great walking tour, too.

Azalea

Front Gardens

The best way to get there is by car. Yes, they have some guided tours but we did not take them, we did our own exploring, especially since the Main House was closed for renovation.

Seamless Train Wheels = Krupp Symbol

We spent about 2 to 3 hours taking in all the place had to offer and then drove to find our hotel.

Hotel Franz

The Hotel was unique. Within a larger complex set up for the physically and mentally handicapped was our Hotel. The actual Hotel was very modern and seemed almost new. Hotel Franz, as it was called, is owned by a foundation and run by the Catholic Church. All the profits from the Hotel go to fund the running of the complex for the handicapped.

The total complex is extensive and while some of the older facades have been kept in their original state, the interiors are all very modern and everything is built to make it easier for the handicapped, whether they need wheelchairs, walkers, or crutches. The details were amazing and well thought out and yet, it did not feel like a hospital, it felt like a hotel. Some buildings on the grounds were residential units, where rehab patients could live and learn to live with their handicap. 

Old Facade of What Was a Children's Hospital (?) 1940 - 43

A plaque outside the older looking building explained that during the war years, the time from 1940-1943, this was a hospital for the mentally handicapped and it was mainly occupied by children at the time. 79 of those patients, mainly Jewish patients, were put to death by injection or gas during those years. 

There is a past, a history at almost every corner in Germany. Some of the atrocities happened not in a concentration camp, but right here, in the middle of the city, in a residential area, or at a hospital.

Newer Rehab Building Next to Our Hotel

The new complex, specially designed to be of help for the disabled is an amazing place. The ‘new’ hotel we were in was outstanding. Our room was air conditioned and very good. The only thing that kept us up a few times during the night was a wedding party that was on the same floor. Their banging doors could be heard and felt throughout the floor we were on. Well, some people are like that, it was not the fault of the hotel, though.

Hotel Lobby

Breakfast was plentiful and very, very good.

No flies here……..  parking was free, restaurants nearby, it was a good spot, a good hotel. From the street, a bit hard to find, but luckily we had our GPS.