Früher: Villa Willi

Previous names: Villa Willi, Haus Putbus, Villa Wende

Today: Villa Wende

Architecture: The house has only one upper floor, and the wooden porch is simply structured and sparsely decorated.

Year of construction: 1886

History/owners until 1945: After the opening of Klünder’s “Strandhotel” in 1883, others who wanted to build also wanted to purchase building plots from the prince. In 1883/84, the princely building authority abandoned the old beach path and had a road built (today Putbuser Straße). The areas to the right and left were divided into plots and sold. With the paving of the road in 1885, good conditions were created for the construction of new houses. In 1886, Villa Willi was the first to open. In subsequent years, it was listed in the apartment registers as having 10 rooms and 2 kitchens and was owned by the Wessel family. The owners changed frequently in the 1920s. In 1920, the Wessel family sold the house to Richard Berendt (sometimes also spelled Berndt). From then on, it appeared in the directories under the name “Haus Putbus.” In 1927, the owner was Gustav Baer, and around 1929, Georg Schulz. In 1929, Berlin master builder Otto Wende bought the house at auction and named it after himself, Villa Wende. Advertisements now referred to it as an “elegant family guesthouse.” After Otto Wende’s death in 1938, his wife Elsa ran the guesthouse with her daughter Eva. Elsa remarried, and advertisements now listed Elsa Lissek as the owner.

GDR period: As a result of compulsory expropriation in 1953 by the Aktion Rose, the building served as a residential building for permanent tenants.

After 1990: In 1997/98, Villa Wende was extensively renovated by Hartmut Callsen, the grandson (of Elsa Lissek) and current owner, and subsequently run as an apartment building. Since the early 2020s, it has been gradually converted for its current use as a private residence.

Current use: Private residence with newly built vacation apartments on the courtyard side

Interesting facts/anecdotes: Villa Willi is considered the earliest example of spa architecture in Binz.

Photos: Hartmut Callsen collection, Binzer Bucht Tourismus collection