Villa Helene

Villa Helene

Ostseebad Binz
Strandpromenade 48

Former house names: The house name “Villa Helene” has been retained from the opening until today.

Architecture: In the book “Pommersche Bäderarchitektur” by Wolfgang Schneider & Torsten Seegert, the house is described as follows: This three-storey solid construction originally formed the northern end of the historic development of the Binz beach promenade. The promenade side can be divided into three main groups, with the central risalit with a trapezoidal floor plan, which protrudes from the building line, being framed by two loggias at right angles. …

Built: Around 1903

History/owner until 1945: The villa was run as a lodging house for many years under the same owner. In the 1905 Binz guide, Ms. Clara Dieckmann recommended Villa Helene with 18 rooms and 2 kitchens. At that time, it was the last house on the beach promenade. It was not until 1913 that the rescue station was built next door (today’s “boat house”). Ms. Dieckmann offered spa guests and tourists, preferably ladies and families, a friendly welcome.

In 1925, the travel guide “Praktische Winke – Ostseebad Binz auf Rügen” advertised Villa Helene as a “beach guesthouse and lodging house located directly by the sea, in the immediate vicinity of the forest, a beautiful, open location. Under the same management for 20 years, known for its careful cuisine. Communal dining room with a table and individual tables. Mrs. Frieda Stahnke, née Dieckmann.”

It can be assumed that Frieda Stahnke was the daughter or sister of the owner. In any case, the villa remained in the family.

The many years of management were often emphasized in the various travel guides.

For example, in the 1935 edition of the Grieben travel guide “Rügen”: … guesthouses and lodging houses … Strandpromenade 48 Pens. Helene (under the same management since 1903, Mrs. Frieda Stahnke).

GDR era: In GDR times, it was used, among other things, as a residential building.

In the course of the wave of reconstruction in the 1950s and 1960s, the appearance of the building changed in significant ways: the loggias were completely closed, sacrificing the trapezoidal shape of the central risalit. The clear window frontage only hints at the original axial structure. The decorative elements on the gables did not survive the reconstruction, nor did the distinctive plaster structures on the sides of the building. (from the book “Pomeranian seaside resort architecture” by Wolfgang Schneider & Torsten Seegert).

After 1990: After 1990, a new building was constructed on the site of the villa in the seaside resort style.

Current use: Holiday apartments and rooms, as well as a restaurant

Photos: Binzer Bucht Tourismus collection, Lutz Grünke

Text: Binzer Bucht Tourismus