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SERIEN IKONEN BEWOHNEN • LIVING IN ICONS

W ith the sentence “We have to look towards the future”, Otto-Uwe Schmiedt,
in 2007 the former mayor of Burg, the main district of Fehmarn, without furt-
her ado decided the demolition of Arne Jacobsen’s therapeutic centre (3). What a
mistake. At the beginning of the 1960s, it couldn’t happen fast enough for the con-
sortium of clients to have the facility built. Jacobsen and Weitling had won the
international competition in 1965. The chairman of the jury was none less than
Egon Eiermann. All the short-listed designs had left the playground and a small
wood undeveloped as the “green lung” of the peninsula. A reason why Burg was
recognized as a Baltic resort already in 1928. The essences of the pine-tree forest
and the salty air of the Baltic Sea were considered to be an excellent combination
to cure people with lung problems, it was said on the occasion of awarding the spa
licence. Aware of this and with respect for the landscape, Jacobsen and Weitling
designed parallel to the coast an exemplary spa with “slowly ascending horizons”.
In its centre, after the level playground, follows the low House of the Guest (1), next
to it the expressive wave pool (2), the therapeutic centre (3) as well the three hotel
towers called Fernblickhäuser [Vista buildings] (4), which had been planned to
have three to four floors and thus to be considerably lower. Despite major concerns
of the architects, with a reference to the economy the consortium insisted on more
rooms. Tourism was booming in the 1960s. Fehmarn wanted to profit from it as
well. What followed where disputes between the clients and the planners. Jacobsen
was known for his persistence; he hated to allow alterations. According to the
modern age, at the south beach palatial hotels should not be in the centre but the
new worlds of experience of the 20th century. In the end, in coordination with the
architects the 17-storey towers visible from afar rose from the beach, to the displea-
sure of a large number of island residents. Many probably also mourned the popu-
lar, historic Wartturm and the thatched reading hall which had stood in the same
sport. It is probably the lack of communication which was the reason while, today,
many still struggle with the facility. But why, after all? Piers, wood and brick are
everywhere but not successful spa architecture of the post-war modern age.
Jacobsen and Weitling envisioned a sustainable expansion of the facility. The centre
should be the spa buildings and the wave pool with the adjacent hotel facility
including road links and parking spaces. In the west, they planned a bungalow-
and apartment section. They deliberately designed the urban-development shape
Fotos: Hendrik Bohle to be organic while respecting the natural topography and the coastlines.

Treppenhaus im Apartmenthaus Vitamar • Staircase in the Vitamar apartment building Planning, building and monument protection
The construction of the spa centre began in 1968. The Haus des Kurgastes (1) was
built first. The plain, one-storey steel skeleton construction with prefabricated con-
crete- and glass elements stands on a platform. A filigree pergola, as it is also found
in Jacobsen’s Rathaus Forum in Castrop-Rauxel, encloses the building. The interior
is flowing, with the exception of a few added wood-panelled walls. Unfortunately,
at present the pavilion is in an extremely poor condition. Fortunately, it was possi-

Gesamtplan der von Arne Jacobsen und Otto Weitling geplanten Anlage • Overall plan of the facility designed by Arne Jacobsen and Otto Weitling

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5 4 5 4 6 1 Haus des Kurgastes • Haus des Kurgastes
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2
Abbildungen: Stadtarchiv Fehmarn 4 Fernblickhäuser • Fernblickhäuser
2 Meerwasser-Wellenbad • Sea-water wave pool
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4
3 Kurmittelhaus • Therapeutic centre
5 Pavillonbauten • Pavilion constructions
6 Apartmenthaus Vitamar • Vitamar apartment building
7 Ferienbugalows • Holiday bungalows
8 Apartmenthäuser, 3 Geschosse • Apartment buildings, 3 storeys
044 • AIT 9.2018 9 Apartmenthäuser, 5 Geschosse • Apartment buildings, 5 storeys