Previous names: The name “Villa Agnes” has been retained since the hotel opened.

Architecture: In the book “Pommersche Bäderarchitektur” (Pomeranian Spa Architecture) by Wolfgang Schneider & Torsten Seegert, the hotel is described as follows: Towering one story above the neighboring buildings, this hotel is a characteristic example of Binz spa architecture. Open wooden loggias are located in front of the actual building, both on the promenade side, which is characterized by a risalit extending across the entire height, and on the front areas of the sides. … the type of decorative elements varies slightly: On the ground floor and upper floor, there are elements with filigree openings, while on the attic floor and on the upper loggias on the sides, there are simple half-timbered struts. …

Year of construction: Around 1893

History/owners until 1945: The book “Landhäuser & Villen am Meer” (Country Houses & Villas by the Sea) describes the history of the villa wonderfully: Master baker August Brehme from Gera chose this plot of land on the beach promenade, located directly on the edge of the forest, for the construction of his summer residences. Around 1890, Brehme had Villa Agnes built on this site. The villa, built in the typical style of seaside resort architecture, was a birthday present from Brehme to his wife Agnes. The house was used exclusively as a vacation home. Every summer, the family traveled from Gera with a large amount of luggage and staff (Addendum: It was purely a summer house and could not be heated). Sometimes one trip was not enough to transport everything. The staff lived in the small brick building next to the villa (Strandpromenade 2b). The kitchen and other utility rooms were also located here. This additional building was necessary because, unlike other villas, Villa Agnes did not have a basement, which normally served to house the utility rooms. Brehme had inherited his father’s bakery, but later became a self-employed building contractor and worked as such in Gera, Binz, and Göhren. … His offices, from which he managed his construction business, were located in Villa Halali, which was built at around the same time as Villa Agnes. In keeping with its location on the edge of the forest, Brehme named this villa, built in the contemporary country house style, after the call of the hunters. The Brehme family was not able to use the summer houses for long. August Brehme died in 1896 and a few years later (addendum: around 1900) the entire property was sold to a family named Henschel (addendum: to Mrs. Emilie Henschel, née Siewers), who ran both houses as a guesthouse until World War II….

The new owner converted Villa Agnes into a guesthouse. The advertisement in the 1925 travel guide “Praktische Winke – Ostseebad Binz auf Rügen” (Practical Tips – Baltic Sea Resort Binz on Rügen) read as follows: Villas Agnes and Halali. In a quiet, desirable location, right on the beach and beech forest, highly recommended. Apartments with kitchen and single rooms with and without board. Captain W. Henschel

GDR era: After the war, the situation was as follows (source: book “Landhäuser & Villen am Meer”): … After the war, refugees were housed here, as in many other villas. Each of the fifteen rooms in Villa Agnes provided shelter for one family. The refugee families were moved out when the house was sold to VEB Buntgarnwerke Leipzig at the end of the 1950s, which then used it as a vacation property for its employees. …

After 1990: After reunification, the villa was renovated and converted into condominiums. During the renovation, the facade, which had been extensively clad with corrugated iron, was exposed again. The heavily weathered wooden loggias with their sawn rosettes were reconstructed, so that the wooden decor of Villa Agnes today resembles its condition in 1890. (Source: Book “Landhäuser & Villen am Meer” (Country Houses & Villas by the Sea))

Current use: Vacation homes and apartments

Interesting facts/anecdotes: A newspaper article in the OZ (Ostsee-Zeitung) on September 11, 1998, published on the occasion of the first Binzer Monat der Bäderarchitektur (Binzer Month of Seaside Architecture), told an interesting story about Villa Agnes: … After the Second World War, refugees found a new home here. The open balconies were covered to gain living space. The Mager family also found accommodation here, living in and with the house in 1954. At the end of the 1950s, the Mitteldeutsche Kammgarnspinnereien Leipzig (later the VEB Buntgarnwerke Leipzig) took over the “Agnes” as a vacation property. The previous tenants were provided with apartments in Binz and, in some cases, in Leipzig. In 1962, the Mager family returned to the beach promenade as administrators and have remained there to this day (addendum: for a long time). Shortly after reunification, they were also the first point of contact for Christine Meyer-Lang, great-granddaughter of August and Agnes Brehme. Even today, the Oldenburg native still visits the more than 100-year-old villa, which has been restored to its former glory and given back its old name. … 1994. During the renovation commissioned by the new owners, 15 in total, the rosettes of master baker Brehme were also rediscovered. They had been covered when the façade was clad, but not removed. … (CMH)

Photos: Boy Collection, Binzer Bucht Tourismus Collection, Lutz Grünke, Binzer Bucht Tourismus/Christian Thiele