Königsberg Sanatorium

Königsberg Sanatorium History

The founding of the first German sanatorium funded by a social insurance company took place in 1895 near Goslar, a town located in the scenic Harz mountain range. The main building was formerly a private residence built only 3 years prior; the large villa became a hospital which treated tuberculosis, and was expanded to include multiple agricultural buildings and the addition of livestock by 1915. Extensive renovations in the 1940s transformed the hospital into a spa-like resort setting, where games, lectures, and film screenings were all enjoyed. Even the farmland was converted to a park and mini-golf course as livestock proved to be unprofitable in the 1950s. The hospital eventually ceased operations in 1970 due to the dwindling number of tuberculosis patients.

In 1974, the buildings were acquired by the Cornelius-Helferich Foundation, a non-profit organization which created treatment and rehabilitation hospitals for mentally handicapped children all over the country. Legal trouble arose in 1982, as accusations of fraud were brought against the Helferich Foundation; the center was eventually closed in September 1984 mainly due to poor structural conditions.

Only two weeks after closure the main building was damaged in a suspicious fire - only to be burned once again in in June 2009, which was the final death knell for the structure. The remaining buildings have been left abandoned on the site while developers hammer out plans to build a new apartment complex, however there is currently a dog training facility on the grounds and is private property.

For more information, check out the most comprehensive website on the sanatorium: koenigsberg-sanatorium.de (translated here), which also hosts these great postcards: