Früher: Villa Speranza

Former names: Villa Speranza, Villa Strandschloss, Haus Orplid

Today: Strandschloss

Architecture: In the book “Pommersche Bäderarchitektur” (Pomeranian Seaside Resort Architecture) by Wolfgang Schneider & Torsten Seegert, the house is described as follows: Located directly at the intersection of the main street and the beach promenade, this house is another example of the diverse design of Binz’s seaside resort architecture. Adapted to the spatial situation, the building is divided into seven main axes, with risalits and loggias alternating in the view. The view is dominated by a central risalit with integrated loggias, whose gable, protruding at right angles from the roof surface, is crowned by a tower structure. …

Year of construction: Around 1906

History/owners until 1945: The Strandschloss was built around 1906 and has always been run as a guesthouse in the years since. It was initially called Villa Speranza, then Villa Strandschloss from around 1909. The location was excellent, right next to the spa house and the pier. Ideally, guests could drive right up to the door.

The upper floors housed guest rooms and the ground floor housed business premises with varying uses, from hairdresser, bank, jeweler, bookstore to delicatessen. Arthur Schuster’s beach bookstore existed from the 1920s onwards. It was described as follows in the 1926 Binz guidebook “Praktische Winke” (Practical Tips):

Arthur Schuster Beach Bookstore 1st store: Strandschloss, Wilhelmstr., 2nd store Promenadenecke-Wilhelmstr., book, art, paper, and music store. 2800 volumes – lending library. New additions every year. Good bindings. German-English-French-Swedish. Modern authors. Printed catalog. Domestic and foreign daily newspapers. Publisher of Schuster’s Guide to the Island of Rügen 1926 and Binz. Special maps of Rügen. Rügen literature. Albums and panoramic maps. Large selection of souvenir items. So there was something for every summer visitor.

The first owner of the house was F. Mäusling Jr. Around 1920, the Kopka family took over the guesthouse and ran it as the “Pension Strandschloß.” In the meantime, the lease was transferred to Mrs. Conrad. Gottlieb Buttermann was also the owner from 1927 until the early 1930s and recommended the house together with his hotel Zum goldenen Löwen. In 1934, the new villa name “Orplid” appeared for the first time under the management of Mrs. Kopka. The name refers to a poem by Eduard Mörike in which he describes a fantastic island he invented: “You are Orplid, my land! The distant shines; From the sea, your sun-kissed beach steams The mist, as if the gods’ cheeks were moistened.” This was the name of the building until 2009.

GDR era: During the GDR era, the Orplid building housed rental apartments, an ice cream parlor, and an HO sports store.

After 1990: The Orplid building was demolished in 2009 due to dilapidation and removed from the list of historical monuments. This was followed by extensive renovation work. The building reopened in the summer of 2010 in all its glory with its old name.

Current use: Vacation apartments, row of shops, and restaurant

Interesting facts/anecdotes:

The Orplid House has also been used as a film set. In 1966, the Binz beach promenade was transformed into the Monte Carlo race track for eight weeks during the filming of the movie “Ohne Kampf kein Sieg” (No Victory Without a Fight). Manfred von Brauchitsch, a racing driver, raced along the beach promenade, past the Orplid House.

Photos: Boy Collection, Lutz Grünke, Binz Bay Tourism Collection, Binz Local Archive, Binz Bay Tourism

Text: Binz Bay Tourism