Historic Siemens Villa in Potsdam Faces Forced Auction

Sayart

sayart2022@gmail.com | 2025-09-01 13:31:17

A historic villa once owned by the prominent Siemens family is set to be sold through a forced auction in Neu Fahrland, near Potsdam, Germany. The castle-like mansion, complete with an adjacent service courtyard, represents one of the most significant architectural landmarks in the region and is connected to one of Germany's most important industrial dynasties.

The main house was constructed in 1910 by renowned architect Otto March for the family of Carl Friedrich Siemens, son of the famous industrialist and inventor Werner von Siemens. According to the auction documentation, the building was designed both for residential purposes and for representative functions befitting the family's prominent social status. Werner von Siemens is widely recognized as the inventor of electrical engineering and founded what would become one of the world's largest technology companies.

The expansive estate, covering more than 100,000 square meters, has experienced a complex and varied history since World War II. Following the war, the Soviet Army took control of the property and converted it into a military hospital. In 1952, the facility was repurposed as a tuberculosis sanatorium, serving the local community's medical needs for decades.

After German reunification in 1990, the property was returned to the Siemens family as part of the broader restitution process. The family subsequently allowed the estate to be used by a clinic and a school, maintaining its role in serving the public good. However, the property was later sold to private investors and has remained vacant ever since.

Despite recent announcements about planned renovation work, these restoration efforts never materialized, leaving the historic building in a state of deterioration. Türk, who serves as the head of Practical Monument Preservation at the State Office for Monument Preservation, described the situation as an unusual case. He emphasized that this is an extraordinarily large monument, noting that its unique location on a peninsula extending into Lake Lehnitzsee makes it particularly special and significant from both architectural and geographical perspectives.

WEEKLY HOT