The Colossus on Rügen (2): A book about Prora

Two German authors, Joachim Wernicke and Uwe Schwartz, have written a book about a place in Germany which is very interesting but not so well-known. The German title means The Colossus of Prora on Rügen – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. If you have a chance to visit this place, this book will be an excellent guide for you. If you are not able to go there, you can still enjoy the book as an armchair traveller.

 

This map of Rügen shows the location of Prora on the eastern coast of the island.

 

Prora is a giant complex located on the eastern coast of Rügen, in the middle of the ten kilometre long bay between Binz in the south and Sassnitz in the north. It is named after a hill on Rügen, and it was planned as a holiday home for 20,000 visitors. Work on the project began in 1936, but because of World War Two it was never completed. Today it stands as a historical monument of the Nazi period (1933-1945).

It is not beautiful, but interesting, because it tells us about an important aspect of Nazi ideology. Nazism was totalitarian. Hitler wanted to control the life of the German people, not only during work, but also during the free time.

The plan called for eight six-floor blocks built in a curve along the beach; each block 500 meters long; four in the northern section and four in the southern section; in the centre, a house of culture, big enough to accommodate all 20,000 visitors at the same time, and a reception area; the whole complex 4.5 kilometres long. On the coast, next to the house of culture, there would be a pier long enough to accommodate a cruise ship.

 

 

This map of Prora South shows the location of the Prora Museum.

If all 20,000 visitors went to the beach at the same, there would still be plenty of space for them, namely 4.8 square meters per person. Each visitor would have a two-week holiday. During two summer months 80,000 Germans could visit the place.

The daily price was set at two German Marks per person, including three daily meals and access to some events in the house of culture. This was cheap by the standards of the day.

The plan called for 10,000 double rooms. All rooms rather small, only 2.5 x 5 meters, but all with a sea view (facing east). In addition, the plan called for central heating, so that the complex could be used all year. Kitchen and bathroom facilities were located in the staircase houses, which were built like small “fingers” on the back side of the blocks. Each block had ten “fingers.”

Work on the project began in May 1936. More than 3,000 workers and 300 foremen were hired. Eight companies began work on eight blocks at the same time, but when World War Two broke out in 1939, the work was stopped. As long as the war went on, there were no resources to build holiday homes.

The eight blocks were almost completed, and work on the pier had begun, but the central house of culture was never built. The workers were transferred to Peenemünde on the nearby island of Usedom where the Nazis developed the V-1 and V-2 missiles which were later sent to attack the United Kingdom.

In 1940 the Germans used a group of Polish prisoners of war to complete the roofs on the eight blocks, so they would not be damaged by bad weather, but that was all. During the war, the allied forces tried to bomb the complex several times, but they never managed to hit it.

In 1945 eastern Germany was occupied by the USSR which took over Prora until 1950. For a while the complex was used to house refugees from the war. All small and removable objects were transported to the USSR. Soviet authorities considered this as compensation for war damages.

The southern block was dismantled and the parts were transported to the USSR. Soviet military also began to blow up the two northern blocks, but the job was never completed. Today the ruins still stand as they were left around 1950.

In 1951 Prora was taken over by the new East German state (DDR). At first it was used by the police, later by the people’s army. From around 1960 a part of the complex was used as a holiday home for soldiers.

During the cold war Prora was a secret area which was closed to the public. On civilian maps Prora was not marked. It was a so-called “Sperrgebiet,” and officially it did not exist (but western intelligence agencies knew about it anyway).

After the cold war there were many dramatic changes in Germany. The Berlin wall came down in 1989, and in the following year West Germany and East Germany were united. For a few years Prora was still sealed off, but since 1993 the public has been allowed to enter the area.

Of the original eight blocks only five are useable today, three in the southern section and two in the northern section. Of the original 10,000 rooms almost 6,500 are useable today.

“Prora South” consisted of four blocks. One is gone, but three are still standing. Block # 4 houses several museums, including a very interesting museum established in 1995, which presents the history of the complex.

“Prora North” also consisted of four blocks. Blocks # 7 and # 8 are in ruins. The area around them is closed because it is dangerous to enter. Next to blocks # 5 and # 6 there is a railway and technology museum established in 1994.

The blocks are about 100 meters from the water. The bay has a sandy beach, one of the best beaches in northern Europe. A belt of high trees has grown up between the blocks and the water. Not every room has a sea view today.

This book by Joachim Wernicke and Uwe Schwartz gives a detailed and reliable account of the history of this extraordinary place. The German text is illustrated with useful maps and fascinating photos. It is highly recommended.

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Joachim Wernicke & Uwe Schwartz,

Der Koloss von Prora auf Rügen,

Verlag Museum Prora & Verlag Langewiesche Königstein,
2006, 156 pages

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