Früher: “Buttermannsche Ecke”

Former names: Known as “Buttermannsche Ecke”

Today: Hotel Ceres am Meer

Architecture: Old postcards from around 1900 show wooden buildings on the corner lot that housed various retail outlets. These “cottages” were made of beams and boards, and neither had a uniform appearance nor were they aligned. Later, a single-story, rectangular corner building was constructed with a uniform white façade and floor-to-ceiling shop windows facing the main street and the beach promenade. Three decorative gables were evenly distributed across the front of this shopping arcade.

The architecture of today’s building stands for a clear design language with precise lines, tall windows and doors, discreet materials, and sensitive details. A distinctive design.

Year of construction: Around 1900

History/owners until 1945: The opening of the “Goldener Löwe” hotel in 1890 marked the beginning of development on what was then Wilhelmstraße (now Hauptstraße). The corner plot remained undeveloped at first, but small huts or kiosk-like wooden houses were probably built there from 1901 onwards. The owners of these small shops changed frequently.

There is no reliable information about the ownership of the property. The area is known in Binz as the “Buttermannsche Ecke” (Buttermann’s Corner), named after the owner of the neighboring property with the Hotel “Goldener Löwe,” Gottlieb Buttermann. The property probably belonged to the bankruptcy estate of “AG Ostseebad Binz,” and the bankruptcy proceedings were concluded in 1901. It is possible that Gottlieb Buttermann then purchased the property.

Around 1930, the huts were demolished and a single-story shopping arcade was built. This now housed retail outlets, including Loeser & Wolff – tobacco shop, Berliner Morgenpost, Arthur Schuster’s beach bookstore, and Berliner Damen- und Herren-Friseur, which were mentioned in advertisements and in the text of the Binz guidebooks.

GDR era: During the GDR era, the single-story shopping arcade also housed various shops, including a hairdresser, the Sandmännchen ice cream bar, the HO beach buffet, and a stationery and book store.

After 1990: This shopping arcade with various shops and restaurants remained in place after 1990. The building was demolished in 2004. A completely new building was constructed, which opened as a hotel in May 2007.

Current use: Design hotel with wellness area, restaurant, and café

Interesting facts/anecdotes: There are various explanations behind the name “Ceres.” On the one hand, “Ceres” is the first planetoid, discovered on December 31, 1801, which according to today’s definition would actually be a planet with a diameter of 940 kilometers. On the other hand, Ceres was a goddess of the earth and mother goddess in ancient Roman mythology, the founder of civilization and culture. Furthermore, the name also stands for the Roman goddess of agriculture and the patron saint of the island of Sicily. In the case of the hotel, “Ceres” stands for timelessness, informality, longevity, and sophistication with understatement.

Photos: Boy Collection, Lutz Grünke, Mirko Boy, Binzer Bucht Tourismus Collection

Text: Klaus Boy, Hotel Ceres am Meer