Sanatorium Waldhaus
THE ABANDONED HOSPITAL IN GERMANY
‘Sanatorium Waldhaus’ is situated in the village Sülzhayn in Germany, a village known for its health resorts. The old sanatorium was left abandoned in 1990 and almost 30 years later it was demolished.
The sanatorium was built in 1898 by Elisabeth Teichgräber. It was first a holiday hotel for groups. Architect A. Krieghoff designed the building.
In 1902, the sanatorium was expanded. More parts were added in 1906 and 1914. The original 32 beds doubled to 64 in 1908. By 1932, there were 90 beds. The owner sold the property in 1921 and the new owner renamed the institute to ‘Kinderheilstätte Holstein’ in 1922. In 1929, the hospital housed 181 children and 24 employees.
In 1945, the hospital was nationalized and renamed ‘Krankenhaus Lebenswende’. It became part of the ‘Hamburgischen Kinderheilstätte’ institute. The hospital closed in the early 1990s.
The sanatorium stood abandoned for many years, slowly decaying. The walls were cracked, and the roof was falling apart. Nature began to take over, with vines creeping up the sides and trees growing through the floors. Broken windows and peeling paint showed the building’s age and neglect. However, the decay was too severe, and the building became unsafe. In 2021, it was finally demolished. Now, only memories and photos remain of this once-busy place.
Despite its condition, the sanatorium held a haunting beauty. I took these photos of ‘Sanatorium Waldhaus’ in 2011. Follow this link for more abandoned sanatoria.
