Zippendorfer Strandhotel: fate between ruin and renovation!

Zippendorfer Strandhotel: fate between ruin and renovation!

The legendary beach hotel on Zippendorfer Strand in Schwerin was once an institution that attracted not only locals but also numerous celebrities. The hotel's history dates back to 1911, when it opened with 65 rooms and direct access to the picturesque Lake Schwerin. It was considered one of the most modern and luxurious hotels of its time, equipped with electric lights and several salons. The house experienced a revival in the 1990s, but has been in ruins since its closure in 2004 due to financial difficulties and the bankruptcy of its owner, a subsidiary of Hypo Alpe Adria. Today it is a listed building and is surrounded by a fence - windows and doors are locked with wooden panels and the area is not open to the public, as the Lost Place Map website reports.

Petra Schmidt, who managed the hotel from 1990 to 2004, many locals still remember the eventful nights in the hotel's night bar. Especially on special occasions, such as Men's Day, the rush was enormous; for example, up to 50,000 visitors came to the performance of the “Rocky Horror Picture Show”. A moment that remains legendary and captures the charm of days gone by. But despite the nostalgic memories, the future of the listed building is becoming increasingly uncertain. A real estate company is planning to build 330 holiday apartments on the site and wants to lift the monument protection. However, the city of Schwerin has clearly rejected the demolition and sees the hotel as being in need of renovation. The discussion about preserving the historic building has broken out.

The condition of the Zippendorfer Strandhotel

Over the years, the beach hotel has suffered considerable deterioration. While the first boom took place after the First World War when the beach was filled with fine Baltic Sea sand, the period after reunification and the following years were characterized by constant changes in usage concepts. The ideas for conversion ranged from a hotel complex to holiday apartments to a larger hotel. But none of these ideas have yet been realized. The condition of the building is dramatic: the facade is spray-painted with graffiti, and plants permeate the concrete floor and walls. Residents like Christian Schneider are calling for a loving renovation and appealing to the city to take the monument protection requirements seriously so as not to endanger the character of the picturesque seaside resort of Zippendorf.

The owner of the planned real estate project, Ulf Heyer, who also owns the Linda detergent factory, sees possibilities for his project, but without the city selling the land it will be difficult. The city emphasizes that the historical substance of the hotel is worth protecting and is even considered to be renovable. Finally, the VDL website emphasizes that monument protection for buildings like the Zippendorfer Strandhotel is important and also benefits the residents and the region in the long term.

The discussion about the future and renovation

The discussion about the future of the Zippendorfer Strandhotel has a clear pulse in the town. Residents, city officials and investors are called upon to find a compromise that takes both monument protection and economic interests into account. Unfortunately, there is no agreement yet. The company's plans conflict with the ideas of local residents, who want to preserve the hotel's rustic charm. So the question remains: Will Zippendorf soon see the dreary ruin of a once thriving HDOMS or will the city manage to make the beach hotel shine again? This remains to be seen.

In the meantime, the Zippendorfer Strandhotel remains a fascinating remnant of another time that still tells stories even when its doors are closed. Whether it can ever become a lively meeting place again depends on the decision of everyone involved.