Germany's Longest Building - 4.5 km/2.8 miles - A Megalomaniac Monstrosity !
By M.-L.
@MALUSE (69413)
Germany
March 4, 2017 2:51pm CST
Germany’s largest island, the Isle of Rügen in the Baltic Sea, doesn't have the kind of seaside attractions you find in England. No fun fairs, no gambling arcades. But it does have an attraction, a unique one. I can't say if it's unique for the whole world, but it's unique at least for Germany.
The longest building of the country stands in the village of Prora. To be precise, it's not one long building but a collection of eight grey blocks of concrete, one standing beside the other. Each has six floors and is 550 m long. That means 4.5 km (2.8 miles) if you count them all together. If you walk around the whole complex, you need nearly three hours. What is it for? The whole island has fewer than 70.000 inhabitants!
It was Hitler's idea to have this complex built. 20.000 holiday makers should relax there at a time with the 'KdF' organisation. ('KdF' = K-raft d-urch F-reude = Strength through Joy) to be made fit for work. It should also be possible to use the buildings as a war time hospital. A hall for cultural events with 20.000 seats and a central place for marching parades were also planned but never begun.
When World War II started, the work on the buildings was stopped. The Soviet Red Army tried to blow them up but couldn't do it due to the solid steel concrete. The army of the GDR (German Democratic Republic) used parts as barracks as did the German army after unification. Since then some museums have been set up in one block, an art gallery and a café. In 2011 a 152 m long part of a renovated building has been turned into a youth hostel. It has 400 beds. A nearby camping site can accommodate 1.000 campers. The beach is just in front of the site, all kinds of water sport activities are possible there.
Yet the arguments go on what to do with the whole megalomaniac monstrosity. Maybe one of the members has an idea?
21 people like this
22 responses
@much2say (53958)
• Los Angeles, California
13 Jan 18
That is a lonnnnng (set of) building! I wonder how it looks inside. I know it could be put to great use if such a building/complex could be settled in our city . . . but for an island with so few inhabitants, I just don't know! With the advances in demolition today, they cannot take it down . . . and perhaps leave part of it . . . and use the land in a more practical way for the inhabitants/visitors?
@much2say (53958)
• Los Angeles, California
13 Jan 18
@MALUSE I guess the space is just too big to fit any demands of the island - there is "over" accommodation! I was curious about the rest of the island so I looked it up. Oh - it's actually quite a quaint and beautiful island . . . and I did see closer photos of this Prora 
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I live in Los Angeles . . . we know there is NO space for such mega architecture. We have a huge homeless population - I could totally see it for some kind of housing/shelter.
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I live in Los Angeles . . . we know there is NO space for such mega architecture. We have a huge homeless population - I could totally see it for some kind of housing/shelter.1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
13 Jan 18
@much2say I have to tell you that your idea is not good. You may be surprised why I'm writing this.
It's a well-researched fact that architecture has an influence on the behaviour and well-being of people. This Prora building is brutal architecture. Now imagine thousands of formerly homeless people who may have lots of problems living there together. Soon there'd be vandalism, riots and maybe even manslaughter. I don't think that I'm exaggerating.
The ideas the builders of this monstrosity had was not to give apartments to people permanently but to offer rooms for short vacations. There would have been a rotating system of holidaymakers coming and going.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
5 Mar 17
Wow, definitely one-of-a-kind @MALUSE . Considering the number of inhabitants on the island (who probably already have a place to live), it wouldn't work out as apartments. A hotel? Probably not. Geez, this is one that's gonna need some thinking.
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
5 Mar 17
@MALUSE Maybe if they fancied up the rooms and added more attractions (restaurants, shops, etc) and offered boating tours or something, it could become a new travel destination.
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
6 Mar 17
@MALUSE I can see where that would be an 'elbow to elbow' nightmare. I think that building was going to be used as a holding area similar to a concentration camp.
@shaggin (71666)
• United States
5 Mar 17
Wow that just seems so odd to make something so large and it to have such little real use. Does it get many tourists at the youth hostel? Now I'm thinking a hostel is a hotel but maybe it is apartments. I would enjoy the beach and the ocean but the building doesn't look very exciting. Maybe they could put a casino in it? Casinos get larger and larger and more elaborate all the time around here.
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
5 Mar 17
The number of tourists isn't excessive. A hostel is a kind of simple hotel. For example, some youth hostels have bunk beds. Have you ever stayed in a youth hostel?
The island couldn't handle the traffic a casino would cause. Always keep the number of beds in mind. The building can house 20.000 people! Then there would have to be staff to care for these people. Whatever way you turn it, nothing sensible comes to mind, I'm afraid. :-(
@Tampa_girl7 (49007)
• United States
5 Mar 17
@MALUSE maybe in some of the buildings hospitals, stores, school, daycare, restaurants, banks and such could be put in to provide all the residents needs.
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
5 Mar 17
@Tampa_girl7 As I've already mentioned, the island this building is on can't take any more inhabitants because there are no jobs for them.
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
5 Mar 17
You can't fill the houses with 20.000 people because there are no jobs for them on the island. Besides, would you like to live there together with 19.999 other people? If you filled only some houses, you would have to live with empty, already decrepit buildings as 'neighbours'.
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
5 Mar 17
Sell the island? Rügen has 926 km²! Who'd buy such a large island? Besides, German islands aren't sold.
It's not possible to demolish the buildings. 'Mundane' is funny. The rooms are *very* basic. Besides, a holiday resort for 20.000 people? Would that appeal to you?
Prora North. After the end of World War Two, the Soviet army tried to blow up two of the northern blocks (# 7 and 8). They did no...
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
5 Mar 17
When you see what the building looks like at one end after the futile attempt to blow it up, you'll understand why all suggestions on how to use it today at least in parts don't make sense. Who would want to live beside burnt out buildings?
Prora North. After the end of World War Two, the Soviet army tried to blow up two of the northern blocks (# 7 and 8). They did no...
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130064)
• India
5 Mar 17
I got an idea. I just counted the number of words in this post. They are over 300. For you LiteracyBase would surely be cakewalk (lol)
And about the building, since it is already there, may as well use it.
@topffer (42156)
• France
4 Mar 17
Giant tourist complexes occupying more than 1000 ha are still created today, except that they are more destined to rich people playing golf than for the laboring masses like this one. It was perhaps the idea of a megalomaniac, but I believe that it was an interesting idea. A youth hostel is a continuation of the initial project, and maybe would it be possible to offer some cheap apartments for holidays too ?
@jstory07 (134464)
• Roseburg, Oregon
4 Mar 17
Why not put a bunch of businesses in the long building.
@LeaPea2417 (36451)
• Toccoa, Georgia
5 Mar 17
The picture above looks nice. It would be a good spot to camp.
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
4 Mar 17
Easier said than done. Who should live in these low-income houses? As I've written, the island doesn't have many inhabitants and the adjacent area on the mainland is sparsely populated. Besides, there is no industry to speak of. There are no big cities nearby. Where should people work?
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
4 Mar 17
That is the darndest thing. The only ideas I have is turn it into recreational vacation spot which I am sure has been tried or immigrant housing.
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
4 Mar 17
Imagine the scenario: 70.000 inhabitants on the island and 20.000 immigrants with nothing to do because there is no industry. Mayhem and murder would ensue!
A recreational vacation spot sounds a bit better. Yet, the facilities are too basic for what people want today. You can't lure 20.000 holiday guests into a youth hostel like building. Besides, they couldn't come by car because there isn't enough space to park so many cars.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (111190)
• El Paso, Texas
4 Mar 17
It could house all the homeless, I think. Well, maybe not all but a lot of them.
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
4 Mar 17
Well with all the refugees flooding in, seems like there is housing all ready for them. Turning it into a resort must have come up since it has a great location.
@Morleyhunt (21737)
• Canada
4 Mar 17
I suppose it could still become a resort as was the original intention,....just more of a tourist resort than one intended for the Hitler youth.
@JudyEv (325815)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Mar 17
That is one big building. I can't even think that big.
